War's Will of Fire
by WalkingMaelstrom
Summary: Ok guys I have this in my dA account but I decided to post this up on as well. It's an AU fic involving a very WW2 European atmosphere where Konoha must do what it takes to defeat the Sound Army. Just FYI, Leaf US, Sound Nazi Germany. Thanks.
1. Chapter 1

Ah the clouds, they're so lovely. So carefree, so still, just letting the wind carry them into whatever direction it's blowing. I envy them, with a bitter jealousy that few could possibly possess. I wish I could be up there. I wish I could be carried away by the wind, away from this God-forsaken place, away from this God-forsaken war.

My name is Shikamaru Nara, Private First Class, 2nd Platoon, Fox Company of the Konoha Infantry Battalion. For the twenty-three years that I've been on this patch of Earth life has been carefree and decent, taking care of the deer ranch with my father and mother. Things were routine and life was good. I had friends, fun, and most importantly, nothing troublesome...then the conflict started.

Since I've been around things have been relatively peaceful since the last war, the Great War, which devastated most of the nations in the land twenty-five years ago. Bloody and brutal warfare took so many soldiers and ruined so many families. It wasn't until my land, Konohagakure, the Leaf Village, got involved and helped bring about the end by defeating Otokagure, the Sound Village. I was only a small child when it was over. Twenty years later, the peace finally came to an end.

It came from right under our noses. The Soundies struck with such ferocity and a revitalized military the likes which no one has ever seen. The Lightning, Grass, Earth, Rain, and Waterfall lands fell rapidly in succession, in the period of just a little more than a year. Sunakagure, the Sand Village, just say idly by as part of a pact formed with the Soundies. Next came the Water and Mist lands that were pounded unmercifully by aerial attack. Meanwhile we sat by and did nothing, stubborn to drag ourselves in another awful conflict, but the Soundies made the choice for us by attacking our borders. It took a few months but they were repelled, though we took some losses.

The anger raged in us like a wildfire. Revenge was what the people cried for, and so we mobilized, and here I am. It's already been six months and I'm still stuck in this damn war, how troublesome. My whole generation was drafted in the surge of patriotism, and those that were reluctant were drafted anyway. I was selected as a squad sniper due to the rotten luck of me being a good shot. "Sure Shot Shikamaru" they call me because I rarely if ever miss. I should remind myself to punch Choji for coming up with that stupid nickname. Clutching my Springfield rifle, I continue to stare at the sky, wishing I could be up there, away from the strife. How troublesome…

"HEY NARA! Come on!" An obnoxious yell comes from my side, near the base of the hill. My eyes roll at his sight.  
"What do you want, pipsqueak?" I reply to the spastic blonde.  
"The rest of the platoon is waiting for your lazy ass! This war ain't gonna be won just standing around, not if there's a Soundie still shootin' at us!"  
"I swear to God Naruto, sometimes I think your ambition will be the death of you."  
"Maybe it will be, but my time's not for me to decide right?"  
"Typical Naruto…"

Private Naruto Uzumaki, I don't know what I could say to summarize him in one or two sentences. He's undoubtedly the most hyperactive and goofy sum'bitch I've encountered, but God Almighty do I admire his enthusiasm, and he's only two years younger than me. Most of the platoon cannot stand him, especially Corporal Neji Hyuga and Sergeant Sasuke Uchiha. Guys like them see him as nothing but a nuisance and someone who'd get 'em killed easily, but so far that's yet to be proven. The other guys tolerate him, some less than others. Choji and I get along with him, mostly because he never seemed to bother us and all three of us have saved each others asses on at least one occasion. From what I heard the poor kid was an orphan since he was a baby and had it pretty rough. His inexhaustible optimism is rather inspiring, as strange as it may be given his circumstances.

Lumbering along, I catch up with the rest of the group, shrugging off the glares from my peers. I know they think I'm lazy and apathetic, but honestly it never concerned me. The usual faces with the usual dirty looks, like good old shithead Neji Hyuga. I swear if cold and demeaning had pictures in the dictionary, you'd find his mug there. His intelligence and skill got him to corporal quickly, much to the chagrin of some of the guys. He seems to have a bone to pick with our platoon leader, 2nd Lieutenant Rock Lee. I call it envy in its purest form. Lee was always a motivated and dedicated kind of guy, the guy that'd charge a minefield, lose a leg, and still take the objective with only a pocket knife. Hell you could say the goofy lookin' bastard was my opposite, always striving to advance while I stay in the shadows. Neji obviously wanted to be the leader but somehow didn't make the grade. Whatever…

"God damn it Shikamaru, one day we're gonna leave you where you sleep just to teach you a lesson, that is if you're not dead by the time you find us!" The perky blonde known as Ino Yamanaka yells to me. Yeah she's my friend and all, but so unbelievably annoying. I wonder if I could trade her for Naruto but without her, we'd be short one medic.  
"Ino, stifle it. No point in arguing with him. It's not that he's lazy, it's just that he doesn't care." The oddly shaped forehead girl said in an attempt to calm Ino down and irritate me. That little lady would be Corporal Sakura Haruno, the head engineer of the platoon. Sassy, energetic, and very intelligent, it's no wonder she was a fit to pal around with her boy toy squad leader Sasuke. I envy that sum'bitch for havin' a girl like her, though I'd be wise never to cross her. She was the type of gal that'd beat you senseless for saying the wrong thing.  
"Ah the childish bickering of the youth. It never ceases to amuse me. Surrounding us is the lush tranquility of the country and yet the children still persist in considering their squabble more important."  
"Cute words Shino. How about you shut that yap and keep marching?" Sasuke barks.

Only one person could speak that high-quality mish-mash and that'd be the platoon resident scholar, Corporal Shino Aburame. Normally very stoic and introverted, he likes to chime in with his wisdom from time to time, at the expense of our understanding and/or patience. An academy graduate, he could've been an officer but instead decided to enlist to "get the feel of the common soldier, the dirt-caked grunt, the hard-charging infantryman." I consider him more stupid than smart for that little move. He also acts as an interrogator, straight man, and intelligence collector, so despite his smartass demeanor, he is pretty vital. The man shutting him up is the "lovable", angst-filled Sasuke Uchiha. His talent in war fighting was noted early by the higher-ups, notably Colonel Jiraiya and Captain Kakashi Hatake, our company commander. Personally I never liked him, mostly due to his slight arrogance, anger trips, and this overconfidence he carries which drive Ino and Sakura to squabble for his affection. Immature I say.

"So Sergeant Sarutobi, what's on tap for the rest of the day?" I ask my squad leader, Staff Sergeant Asuma Sarutobi. Now normally, I'm an aloof guy who usually just does his job and that's it, but SSG Sarutobi I'll admit is one person who I actually admire and be open with. Hell he taught me everything I know now, not to mention once saving me from a mortar barrage in a Soundie ambush.  
"Well we're gonna move about five more clicks due northeast, set up camp, and prepare for the next assignment. What the details of it are I have no clue. One thing I do know private, is that it's gonna be a gay old time come tomorrow."  
"Just what I wanted to hear sergeant." I said with the air of slight annoyance.  
"We don't tell you what you want to hear, but what you are ordered to do."  
"Yes sergeant." I reply. We knew the village nearby was controlled by the Soundies. Kumogakure, the Cloud Village. It was one of the first to fall under their war machine, and by God it would be one of the first we liberated. Higher command believed that with every village we liberated, we'd arm them to take on the Soundies. Similar efforts by the Water military helped out the Land of Waves and Land of the Sea. Slowly but surely the Soundies were having their iron grip on these lands start to rust, but they could still defeat us should we be careless.  
"So Shikamaru, whaddaya think we'll be doing?" asked Choji, lugging his .30 caliber machine gun over his shoulder while Ino carried ammunition along with her medical supplies behind him with some effort.  
"Whaddaya think we'll be doing Choji? Spreading freedom and liberation to the oppressed, like the newspapers so majestically claim."  
"No smartass, I mean literally not figuratively. I heard about a possible plan to assault the Cloud Village. I'm kinda nervous about it. I heard they've got that placed armed to the teeth!"  
"I'm sure they do. These Soundies don't fuck around. That's how they go so powerful in the years prior to the Water forces and our forces going on the attack."  
"Wow for such a big guy Choji you sure are always so scared. Guess those muscles maybe give you more strength but not more courage." Ino complained.  
"Shut the fuck up Ino! You feel the anxiety like just like everyone else does." He snaps.

Choji was my best friend even when we were little kids. Everyone poked fun at his fattiness except for me and Naruto. He understood Naruto's pain given the fact he was shunned unmercifully as well and I found it too troublesome to kick a kid while he's down. I'll say one thing about Choji though, ever since the invasion from the Soundies he's a fatty no more. His strength is enough to lug that big gun with little problem and crush even the first sergeant, Might Guy. He says getting this strong was to show everyone that he's not some Pillsbury Doughboy to poke around and if they did they'd pay for it. Of course Naruto and I still jab at him, but he knows it's all in good jest. Ino is a little cruel to him for reasons unknown, but I always knew Choji liked Ino and since all of our parents are good friends, past incidents brought about awkwardness, humiliation, and even pain for Choji. I believe the number of times Choji has unsuccessfully asked Ino on a date is up to three hundred fifty-two since they were both sixteen. Hilarious is what I call it. Ino herself is an enigma when it comes to Choji and me. Sometimes she's cheerful and helping and then sometimes she's downright bitchy. Must be the time of the month or something…


	2. Chapter 2

Several hours later we managed to get to our tactical rally point to set up camp. Good timing since the sun was just setting, giving the landscape a serene orange glow. Tents were up, guards were posted, dice and cards were aplenty, the men and women trading food and cigarettes.

"Hey Shikamaru," the voice interrupting another moment of peace I almost had, "you should see this. Some of the guys got in a marksman contest with the Uzumaki kid."

"God damn it Kiba, is the whole platoon conspiring to rob me of my tranquility?!?" I yelled at the shaggy private. Kiba Inuzuka was an energetic young buck close to Naruto's age. The only difference was that Kiba was more accepted amongst his peers than Naruto, despite his occasional arrogance and impulsiveness. He's also a fanatical pet lover and nearly cried when he had to leave his mutt Akamaru back home. Though his appearance makes him look like a shitbag, like Naruto I wouldn't underestimate him.

"You're serious? What're the rules?"

"Oh we've set some cans, Soundie helmets, and bottles up on the stakes and we've got a serious pot going on to see who wins. Right now we've got Neji, Sasuke, Naruto, Sai, Sakura, Tenten, and I competing. I was gonna invite you but the fellas said no on account of you being a sniper and all and having the unfair advantage of being able to hit a fly off a horse's ass six hundred meters away."

"Heh, I'm flattered by your compliment Kiba. Tell ya what, I'll come along. I wanna see this in action."

"I won't let ya down Nara." He gleefully replied as he scampered off to the sound of gunfire.

I saunter over to see Sakura cursing in frustration at Tenten who managed to knock down eight of ten targets while the engineer only got six. Tenten was our anti-armor specialist, and despite that Bazooka she carried weighing an awful lot, she could lug it like Choji could his .30 caliber. Lord knows it's knocked out a good amount of Soundie armor that saved our ass. Shino gave her his M1 Garand and so far she's been pretty good. Another hour passed by and more bets were made. More cries and cheers erupted from the spectators and competitors as Sakura was knocked out, followed by her engineer partner Sai, an emotionless little bugger who lost to Sasuke. Sasuke lost to Neji but surprisingly took it in stride as he walked off with whatever cash and goods he scored and he faded into the crowd. Neji nearly went apeshit when Naruto of all people managed to scrape a victory over him, but luckily Tenten calmed him down. I forgot to mention that Tenten had a thing for Neji. I guess women like that powerful asshole-like attitude, some BS about confidence or something like that…whatever.

"All right punk, it's down to you and me." Kiba exclaimed to Naruto, who by the looks of it nearly had an aneurysm trying to concentrate. "The pot is as good as mine. In fact, I'm shocked you made it this far…must be dumb luck." The contest was drawing to a close and it was just down to the two privates, Kiba with his Garand and Naruto with his B.A.R.

"Keep talking Kiba. I'll wipe that smirk off your face."

A faint voice crept its way through the trash talk. "N-Naruto, I…I know you can do it. Don't let him get to you. I've got my trust in you." The words carried a meek flavor of shyness but at the same time benevolence.

"Thank you. At least I can have the satisfaction of knowing I have someone in my corner…Hinata." Naruto grinned while facing down Kiba. Hinata blushed and looked off to the side, catching my attention.

Ah I almost forgot our other medic, the grey-eyed Hinata Hyuga. Just a little younger than Naruto and about a few years younger than her cousin Neji, Hinata was always the shy quiet one of the bunch. Her eye contact was poor, she wasn't as strong as Sakura or Tenten, she stumbled through words, and the platoon was unsure about her ability to function when things got hot. I always felt sorry for the poor girl. Her cousin Neji was less than sympathetic and I remember growing up her family being less than supportive. Her father wanted a strong, confident woman in the family ever since her mother died while she was a toddler and expressed nothing but disappointment, killing all but a smidgen of her confidence. It became pretty evident to most of the platoon, barring maybe Neji or the apathetic Sai, that she has feelings for Naruto, who was tragically oblivious to this as he always pined over Sakura. His unyielding confidence, at least superficially, and his kindness to her caused Hinata to develop a sort of crush on him. All she had to do was let Naruto know how she felt and things would change, but she could never bring herself to tell him. My guess was that she was waiting for the right moment, when it really mattered, but sometimes if you keep waiting what you want never comes.

To me the whole concept of love is troublesome. All the mental and emotional anguish someone has to go through…it's torturous I say. For me, all I want is to live an average Joe life…marry a girl who's not too pretty but not too ugly, raise a daughter and then a son, retire when they were successful and married, and then play out the rest of my life with my wife, playing Shogi or chess, and die before my wife. Figures a goddamn war has to fall in my lap. Ha, idealism at its finest. It's such a simple wish, but then again nothing ever comes that easily. Finally realizing that I've thought about way too many things in such a short amount of time, I shifted focus and watched my friend Naruto do his best to stifle his opponents. I wonder what he's thinking...

"Oh man, pressure's on now Naruto...whaddaya gonna do? I mean, half of me getting this far was pure luck. Now everyone's watching, including Sakura and Shikamaru. Crap...crap...double crap."

"What's the matter Uzumaki? Lost that streak of confidence you had before?" Sasuke jeered to him. "Hell I'll bet $50 you can't make that bottle all the way at the end!"

Now if there's one thing you don't do with Naruto, you don't underestimate him and bet on it.

"You're on! $50 and my rations for tonight on the table!" He replied.

"$50, tonight's rations, and 2 packs of smokes!" Kiba yelled as he raised the bet.

The crowd got louder as the challenge grew, troops left and right betting on either Kiba or Naruto.

"So Shikamaru, who're you bettin' on?" Choji asked.

"Hmmmm...you know what? I'll take the blondie for two packs of smokes and $10. Hey Hinata, you want in?" He asks the shy medic.

"Um, no thanks, I know Naruto can do it, but um, I know I'll probably jinx him."

There's that Hinata self-denigration again.

"Ah don't be ridiculous Hinata! In fact, I bet you're contribution will cause him to win!"

"Y-you really think so Shikamaru?"

"Scout's honor."

"Ok then...here's 5 bucks. It's all I've got."

"It's so hard to get in the game with all this chatter and betting going on. I hate it when other people put their things on the line just to see me win. Man it's such a mind-killer! I sure hope Hinata or Shikamaru didn't bet anything."

"Ok that's enough! All bets are over, now let's do this!" Neji proclaimed. "Kiba, you're up first! You gotta hit the first two closer cans and then that bottle."

"No sweat! Money and smokes here I come!"

Naruto watched in sheer anxiety as Kiba took aim and nailed the first can, then winged the second. Though he only scraped the can, it was still a hit. Now all was left was the bottle 100 meters away.

"I can't watch." Naruto said to himself as he closed his eyes. Only the sound of a rifle report and a shatter came through his mind. His heart sank while the crowd roared. Kiba's shot was true and he hit all three. It only took a minute to replace the bottle.

"HA! Like I said, there's nothing to it when I'm pullin' the trigger! You're up next whiskers!" Kiba mockingly yelled to Naruto, pointing out the birthmarks, or rather lines, on his cheeks.

"Hold it! Because it's Naruto, we're gonna put the bottle an extra fifty meters away! If he makes it, he wins, if he doesn't...it's all over." Neji said, causing uproar amongst the crowd.

"All or nothing huh?" Kiba questioned, "Ok...I got this in the bag anyway."

"I wouldn't accept if it I were you Kiba." Shino warned.

"Are you kidding? The kid can't do it. I know he can't and he won't. He's pathetic."

"If you say so."

"What the fuck? You can't do that!" Choji yelled. "That's not fair?"

"Sergeant Uchiha?"

"I'll allow it. Might actually help the little runt concentrate for once."

The sweat went down Naruto's back like a downpour. There was a lot of money and other goods at stake, including Sakura's attention and the approval of the platoon.

"Why God? Why is it always me?" He asked in his head as he lifted his B.A.R. up and took aim. It was hard enough that the target was purposefully placed farther so it appeared smaller, but his rifle weighed at least five pounds more than Kiba's Garand. "Ok Naruto, aim, breathe, pause, and then squeeze, just like Iruka taught you. Oh who am I kidding? I'm as good as done." Naruto put the rifle down and endured the booing as he tried to gather his thoughts. He saw Shikamaru nodding confidently that he'll succeed. He even saw Hinata, though blushing, clasping her hands in hope that he'll succeed. "Ok then, if I can't do it for everyone, then I'll do it for those two." He raised the rifle and aimed down the sight, breathing hard, shaking his grip.

"Come on Naruto, I believe in you." Hinata thought.

"Ok remember, just like Iruka told you. Come on...come on..." He took aim at the center of the bottle, then closed his eyes and let loose the shot, as if he put his faith in the heavens to guide it. To Naruto it felt like eternity as the bullet took its course. Silence filled his senses as he opened his eyes, never hearing the sound, but watching the aftermath of his trial. Seen from about 150 meters away were the remnants of what was the empty soda bottle, hundreds of little pieces scattering the rock it was placed on. His eyes widened and mouth opened as if he'd seen a ghost. In the few seconds passing the shot, the crowd roared.

"Holy shit...holy shit. The little guy did it!" Choji yelled in excitement.

"I knew he could." I said, knowing that there was a good possibility of him missing. Nevertheless, I still took satisfaction is seeing the scorn come from Sasuke, Neji, and the rest of the doubters as I bore them a shit-eating grin. I noticed Hinata squirming with joy as well.

"Naruto…" She whispered, me being able to read her lips.

"Well how do ya like that? The little punk did it. I'm glad I put my money on him." Sakura grinned as she swiped some cash from her rival Ino who had thought Kiba would be the winner.

"All's well that ends well I say. Now pay up." Shino said to Kiba, who grumbled angrily as he forfeited his goods to him. "Guess all that trash talk caught up with you in the end. A fool and his money are soon parted."

"Fuck you and your proverbs."

"All right, all right, that's enough fun for today guys. We're still at war so play time is over." A loud voice came over the rabble. It was our platoon sergeant, Technical Sergeant Yamato, who stood aside 2LT Lee as the sun was finally setting over the horizon. "We've got a briefing to attend at 2000 hours given by Captain Hatake. I want all squad leaders present and their squads pulling rotational duty. We're near enemy territory now so we gotta be on our guard at all times! The Soundies are known for their unpredictability, so let's not afford them the opportunity. Understood?"

"Yes sergeant." The group said in near unison.

"All right then, back to your posts. Squad leaders, get your people's kits set up and guard shifts posted. Sarutobi, your squad's up first."

"Roger that. All right, we have the first shift. Ino, Hanzo, Yona, and Isshiki, you'll patrol the 4 to 6 o'clock position. Nara, Akimichi, Kimura, and Toyama, you cover the 3 to 5 o'clock position. Yes you'll be lapping each other but I wanna cover any and all security gaps. Choji, your .30 cal will be at the 3 o'clock to light up anyone that hits the right flank. You got it?"

"No sweat sergeant. No one gets through my sight."

"Nara, you'll be our spotter and long distance man. We need you as the counter-sniper in case the Soundies feel like taking potshots."

"Roger."

"Everyone else knows what they need to do. The other squads will set our shit up while we cover them. We have Anko's 4th squad to replace us in two hours. It's the same thing like it has always been, stay alert, and stay alive. I'll be briefing you in the morning. In the mean time, get situated and when you're done get some sleep. I need you all rested up, you got it?"

"Yes sergeant." We mumbled aloud.

Security shifts were always a pain in the ass, but totally necessary. Most of the time I'd be fiddling with my scope, trying to see how far I can spot something, usually getting jittery when I thought I saw a person moving. My mind played tricks on me at night. It was definitely my least favorite time of day that is of course unless I was sleeping. I reflected on what Sarutobi said about the Cloud Village, knowing damn well that what this mission is probably gonna be. I hope I can sleep peacefully after my shift…knowing what might be in store tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 3

The morning mist covered the campsite as the sun began to rise. Perfect. In about two hours the camp was rolled up and we were on our way. Riding and marching…that's all we've been doing for the past month. Sure we've had a few skirmishes with the Soundies with relative success, but quite honestly I felt like they were sizing us up for the kill, testing and teasing us. Another day, another battle, another chance to die meaninglessly.

"So my fears have been confirmed huh Shika? We're goin' after the Soundies in the Cloud Village."

"No need to state the obvious Choji. We're goin' in and we're not coming out until they're all dead or they run away."

The halftracks roll along the dirt roads with us in tow as we approach the Cloud Village or rather what was the Cloud Village. Now mostly smoldering ruin, the buildings still stand but are devoid of any civilian life, those civilians either fled or died previously during the invasion. Our artillery pounded the place for an hour straight, hopefully softening up their defenses. Knowing the Soundies, it wasn't likely they turned tail and ran. Oh no...the fight they had in store was gonna be rough. I just wish I knew where they would be.

"All right guys listen up," Sarutobi yelled as best he could, given the sound of the motors drowning out almost everything else. "You all know what we're here for and you all know what we gotta do. Stay tight and don't rush anything. Our artillery softened the place up, but we've gotten no contact from the Soundies at all. Knowing them, they won't rush us head on but instead try to strike at our weak points. First thing we take is the village church. It's located closest to us in the southeast corner. 1st and 2nd Squads will cover our advance with mortars and suppressive fire. Our engineer assets will be accompanying us to breach the church and remove any traps they might have. One we and 4th Squad have secured the church, we'll regroup with the other platoons and continue there. Akimichi and Nara, you get up to the tower once we clear the church and give us the situation. Ino, you'll stay with the support element and get any casualties. The rest of you will stay with me in the assault. Remember, we stay together, we stay alive. No heroics out of anyone in my squad."

We dismounted about a half a kilometer away from the village. It was quiet, way too quiet for my liking. The marks left from our artillery were still fresh, tearing seeping wounds into the village as buildings were still smoking and the fresh crater marks made our movement more troublesome. Man I'd hate to be the guy caught in that barrage. We moved tactically towards the first few set of hollowed out buildings and still so sight of the Soundies. My stomach began to tighten. Something was wrong. Nevertheless I saw no enemy, so I signaled the other squads the go ahead to advance.

"Hey Sure Shot..."

"Don't call me that Ino."

"You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"

"Yeah...trouble...and lots of it."

"So what now?" Asked Toyama, our support gunner.

"We leapfrog, follow Sergeant Sarutobi, take as much cover as possible, and pray to God we don't get whacked. One way or another things are gonna get hot sooner or later."

"Your optimism is boundless, Sure Shot." Yona chimed in.

"What did I say about calling me that?" I whispered angrily as I saw 1st, 2nd, and 4th Squads come up from our rear.

"Shino..." She whispered meekly.

"Yes Hinata?"

"I'm worried, I-I mean r-r-really worried." The poor lavender-eyed girl said, barely able to hold onto her M1 Carbine and she shook trying to take a sip from her canteen. "I have an awful feeling, I mean um, especially about us and um, Naruto. I hope he'll be all right. I hope I can protect him, um I mean if he's in trouble."

He chuckled, always admiring her devotion. "Hinata, you're too much sometimes. We're all here to watch each other's backs. You need not worry, for as reckless as the kid may be he somehow always gets out of the predicaments he's in with only some cuts and bruises. You worry about yourself right now, then the others."

"But..."

"No buts Hinata, and besides keep down the chatter. We don't want the Soundies gettin' a hold of us early. If the little punk gets hurt it's not your fault. Quit worrying about him for once, it's kinda pathetic." Kiba said almost insultingly.

"But...ok then." She said as she shrunk her head down in embarrassment. Her squad leader, Sasuke, luckily never noticed her little chat with her friends as he quickly got accountability of his soldiers and signaled them to take the next position.

"This is 2nd Squad, all clear" He said in signs to Yamato.

"1st Squad, advance." Yamato signalled.

Soon 1st Squad under Ibiki Morino came through. Neji, acting as the team leader, signalled the squad to split and cover ground. Calm and confident, he established secure positions behind the rubble of what was a cafe.

"All clear Sergeant Morino."

"Good work Hyuga. Let's move up. Tenten, stay in the rear of the formation but be ready for any armor."

"Acknowledged sergeant."

Morino crept up to 2LT Lee, who was with Anko Mitarashi's 4th Squad.

"What's the status sergeant," Lee asked.

"All clear sir, waiting for you order to move 3rd and 4th up. We've got mortar teams and MG crews established to offer cover fire for your advance."

"Splendid. Remember you must be relentless in your support. The Soundies are a dangerous foe and will quickly capitalize on any weakness we might show, so this strike must be fast and hard. The other platoons will move in when we are successful. Once we take the church we can expect them to try and retake it. It will be tough but we will succeed with a stubborn defense and our will of fire."

Sergeants Morino and Mitarashi just rolled their eyes. The LT always had a penchant for going on long winded rants like that.

"Ok 3rd and 4th move up. Stay low and keep quiet." The order came from Tech. Sergeant Yamato, the one I feared.

We crept up slowly, scanning the buildings for any sign of movement, or anything thing at all for that matter. Naruto's squad was in front, so if anything they'd take the first hit, God forbid. Suddenly I thought I heard a thump in one of the buildings. Almost all guns pointed to the origin of the noise and for about ten seconds our squads were ready to unleash hell upon whatever moved in there. Then out of the window flew a small group of ravens. We watched them fly off to our rear as we got back into movement towards the church, which was only about a city block ahead.

"Talk about bad omens huh Shikamaru?" Ino said, obviously stirred up by what just happened.

"I know. It's best not to think on it too much. And besides..." And right when I was about to finish the sentence, I found out omens actually do mean something. A loud crack like wood snapping emerged, and out of two windows in what was a three-story house, two MG teams appeared with their sights on us. If I had looked closer, I coulda sworn I saw the maniacal grin of one of the Sound soldiers.

"Oh shit..." Naruto said.

"AMBUSH! Get down now!" Sergeant Mitarashi yelled as quickly as she could, only to find one of her squad members cut down as he watched the bullets fly at him. Another squad member was struck in the shoulder as she desperately tried to reach for cover. She was screaming like a banshee. Another was grazed in the leg, stumbling to hide behind a wall, but it looked like he was still ok.

"MEDIC! Get to the wounded now!" Mitarashi screamed as Ino ran to the screaming girl. Her own medic was pinned down and would've been eviscerated had she tried to get up. I suddenly heard the loud cracks of rifle fire. Looks like they were using sharpshooters as well just in case we tried to get up and flank. Just my luck...

"God damn it! Soundies got us right in an ambush!" Lee yelled right next to me, enough to shatter my eardrum. "All MGs and snipers get your fire on those fucking windows! We have to clear the way!"

"Game time Shikamaru."

"Indeed. Let's do this Choji. No mercy."


	4. Chapter 4

The guns barked with a fury that sounded like a brute ripping canvas with his bare hands. We made damn sure our heads were down otherwise the MG42 teams would take pleasure in perforating us to bits like that poor sap in 4th squad. I did my best not to gaze eyes upon the dead and wounded, though the screaming girl, Private Miyoshi, was certainly disturbing what concentration I could muster.

"Ino, shut that girl up now!"

"She got shot in the goddamn shoulder Shikamaru! I'm doing the best I can!"

"Come on Choji, show 'em what you've got."

"All right then, just cover me from the sharpshooters."

"You got it, Isshiki and Yona, get your fire on those windows as he sets up." Sarutobi yelled.

"Roger! Covering fire!" A splutter of fire which included my own rifle lit up area as the other two squads offered their own support. One of the riflemen was nailed by Yona and another I hit right as he peeked his head around. The Soundie next to him had a brief look of shock on his face as his comrade slumped to the floor.

"Ok I'm ready." Choji said as his ammo was loaded and gun cocked. "Time to light 'em up!"

"Give 'em fuckin' hell Choji!" yelled Ino from the back, clamping down on Miyoshi's wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding. Ino's arms were already saturated in blood that wasn't hers.

At her request, Choji let fly with everything he had. The roar of the .30 caliber joined in harmony with the other gunners rang through the street as he gradually reduced the cover the Soundies had. The both of us alone managed to pick off about three more bad guys while Toyama and two others from 4th loaded their Garands with rifle grenades. The enemy fire was still relentless. A bullet grazed right over my head, shaving the tips of some of my hair off. I froze up stiff against the rubble.

"Ready?" Toyama yelled. The two others nodded in agreement.

"Fire in the hole!" And with that all three were launched with a distinctive _foomp_ sound. One bounced off the wall and into a pile of rubble, thank God nowhere near us, but the other two hit home inside the windows. A few seconds later and whoever was in those rooms would certainly never see the light of day again.

"Good shootin'! Damn fine shootin'!" yelled Sarutobi. "Now get those last MG teams!"

"Sergeant I can't get a good shot! They got us pinned!"

"Anko! Get one of your guys to be a runner! Send a message to the rear. Tell 'em to flank around! This passage is too hot!"

I was puzzled at first to hear him ask for a runner instead of just covering fire.

"Ok fine! Uzumaki! Get your ass down there and tell Sergeant Yamato the situation!"

"Why me?" Naruto protested.

"Because I said so you little shit! Now move!"

I wasn't quite sure what sending Naruto off as a runner would do to help my situation. We were still pinned down by the gunners. Naruto waited for the split second when the gunners stopped their staccato fire, and once it came I never saw a man run that fast before in my life. Then again his life depended on it. Immediately one of the gunners got him in the crosshairs, just enough time for me to take aim.

"_CRACK_!" The rifle reports as my shot went through the man's temple like a hot knife through butter. The other gunner took fire on Naruto, barely hitting him as a bullet grazed his pant leg and hip. I must say the stupidity of these particular Soundies upset me. I figured soldiers that nearly conquered the whole area would've seen a diversion when it came up. Nevertheless I lined up my sights on the last gunner and caught a glimpse of his terrified face when he saw my scope. It was the last thing he ever saw. It still wasn't clear to move as another group of Soundies went on the offensive and decided to have a shooting match with us.

"Sergeant! It's still too hot...too hot up there...we gotta flank!" Naruto gasped clutching his chest for air, barely surviving the sprint thanks to Shikamaru's efforts. "LT says…we gotta split and…and cover more ground."

"Ok then. 1st Squad takes the right flank while 2nd takes the left. 3rd and 4th will continue to advance up the middle."

"Naruto!" Hinata yelled as she poked her head up to see how he was, seeing the tears on his uniform from the bullets. Little did he realize how terrified she was seeing Naruto like that.

"It's all right. I don't…I don't die that easily. Wouldn't wanna make a lady cry right Sakura?" He said still breathless, but with a satisfied smirk on his face, aiming to woo Sakura.

"That's cute squirt, I'm not impressed. Maybe when you become more constructive to the war…" Sakura said as she proceeded to bite his head off. "Anyway, Sasuke, how's about you and me stick it to these guys?" She turned, flipping her hair and grinning in a seductive manner that only the most disciplined of men could resist.

"Anytime, anywhere babe. Ok 2nd, let's roll! You heard the orders!" He cocked his Thompson ready and

2nd Squad quickly bound to the left side-street, covering each other as they moved.

Naruto sunk his head down in shame, failing to hit on Sakura successfully again. With the firepower of the Soundies dissipated, he managed to hustle back to our position. I could see the look of disappointment on his face, and this is a kid who'd just barely survived two machine guns hunting him.

"Damn…" was all he muttered, as if nearly dying didn't faze him.

Never could quite understand why Blondie decided to set his sights on the pink-haired Wonder Woman. First off, she was a gifted engineer with promotions written all over her while he was a bumbling private who got lucky most of the time in bad situations and constantly earned the scorn of his superiors. Second, she was already fixed with Sasuke much to Ino's chagrin. Third, though she could display benevolence to Naruto, she usually treated him like an idiot. If Naruto gets off on that verbal abuse, then she's the one for him, but honestly I think he's a moron for trying so damn hard. I remember him telling me during training, "Check it out Shikamaru, when this war is over, I'm gonna be Konoha's hero. Medal of Honor and all, and then Sakura will have no choice but to dump Sasuke and get with me. Believe it!" I forgot he added that silly little catchphrase from time to time. I somewhat admired his determination mixed with a lack of common logic, but all that effort just to get the recognition of one girl? Way too troublesome for me to even comprehend.

Meanwhile our little gun battle with the reinforcements tilted to our favor as the attackers soon ran to take refuge in the church. The quieter gunfire I heard around me meant that 1st and 2nd ran into their own little patches of resistance, but after a minute or two it faded as I assumed the other Soundies fell back.

"2nd Platoon! We've got these bastards on the run! Now let's take back that church from their grip!" Lt. Lee yelled in an effort to motivate the troops. "Let's show them how Konoha does it!"

"3rd Squad! Let's move! Ino, hand off Miyoshi to 4th's medic. She'll be brought back to the rear. Everyone form up and be ready to attack."

"Roger."

"Shit…" I mumbled. That lucky medic from 4th will be the only one out of this upcoming carnage as she carries Miyoshi to the triage center.

"2nd PLATOON ON LINE! READY…" Lee yelled as we formed up, ready to attack, his hand raised in the air. Pulsed raced, people shook, fingers on the triggers, ready to kill whatever would be in front of them. Smoke grenades appeared in front as Captain Hatake must've ordered a smoke screen to conceal our assault. "CHARGE!"

With the fury of a people that have sustained a horrendous invasion and suffered witnessing the brutality of the Land of Sound, our platoon charged with a battle cry the whole village coulda heard. I could hear mortar rounds pounding the Sound positions as we ran closer. I could hear my platoon shouting threats and jeers at the enemy. I could hear the enemy preparing to meet us head on. In a fraction of a second an eerie silence enveloped me as I watched what would become a furious battle. Everything slowed down, voices got deeper, and all I could see was the enemy in front of me. Peripheral vision was lost to me. My scope was my eye, lining up the first thing I saw, a sergeant bringing his MP40 to bear. _POW_! The rifle cracked as my finger squeezed the trigger. My vision centered on his corpse falling in front of his men. There was nothing else I felt but the cold, unmerciful feeling that these men had to die. _POW_! Another enemy fell to my rifle, spiraling to the ground. The blood rushed through my body as the combat intensified. I saw the enemy shoot and fall to our onslaught. I saw two of our own fall to their rifle fire and another flown in the air from a grenade like a rag doll. Suddenly my shoulder began to feel like someone was hitting it with a rock as I laid aside some boxes for cover.

"NARA! HEY NARA!" I heard but couldn't make out who was yelling, the voice sounded muffled and deep. "NARA!"

I discovered it was Sergeant Sarutobi as he continued to wrap me on my shoulder, both of us crouched behind cover.

"Nara…God damn son wake up! They've got a sniper up in the bell tower. The bastard shot Yona dead and has some of us pinned. Kill the fucker would you please?"

I looked around, trying to regain my focus. I saw Yona lying just a few yards ahead of me, drained of his life. I saw her. A young, cute girl with black hair no older than Naruto or Hinata, was carefully aiming and shooting at whatever she could. A couple others were wounded, mostly from 1st Squad. Neji was right near me, trying to move to one of his wounded squadmates writhing on the ground, but the girl nearly got a clean shot at his head as the bullet ricocheted off some rubble. Luckily she only felled one of us, but I became furious when Sarutobi told me it was Yona. She bore an almost sadistic grin on her face as she knew death was near, but not before she took a few people down before she died. She never saw me as I aimed and squeezed. The shot went through her neck as she clasped her wound for a second, a shocked look on her face that death came quicker than she'd hoped, and then fell over the wall, her rifle following her to the ground. With that we managed to reach the outer walls of the church, before our final assault into the church hall. The Soundies fled their outside positions and huddled inside, waiting for us to strike.

I never killed a woman up until now, and I wish I hadn't, but the enemy's the enemy. As a sniper, killing becomes more personal as war progresses. Artillery and mortars kill indiscriminately, and tanks and troopers kill seeing their enemy, but a sniper kills their enemy up close and personal, seeing every detail on their face. You can see their fear, their excitement, their anger, their worry, their grief. You can tell how old they are, if they're married, if they're green or veteran. When I got close enough to her broken form as we assaulted, I saw the name on her ID tag read Kin Tsuchi. This wasn't some anonymous villain. She was a person like me. Had this war not happened she could've probably lived a normal life, get married, get a job, and have a family. Instead she died by my hands and the evil ambitions of her leader, the Sound dictator Orochimaru, who perverted her innocence to become another instrument of death. What a drag.

"Enough personal reflection Nara, it's time to man up." Neji said unsympathetically. He always was a pretentious asshole. I swear I wouldn't have any remorse killing him if he were a Soundie. "So you shot the bitch, welcome to war. Now quit sulking and help me."

"Up yours Neji." I replied, but reluctantly shuffled over to his position. 1st Platoon managed to get a foothold on the other side of the church but dared not enter yet. One of their men attempted to assault through but was shot to pieces the second he rushed in, while one of ours did the same but was lucky only to get shot twice but still live.

Naruto and a couple more from his squad managed to huddle up beside us. In the initial chaos of the charge, squads got separated and it basically became a mish-mash of teaming up with anyone not wearing a Soundie outfit.

"How's it going gentlemen?"

"Peachy fucking keen twerp…I'm glad to see your powers of observation are getting better." Neji responded.

I signaled to Naruto a hand sign basically calling Neji an asshole. He chuckled.

"Anyway if you clowns are done doing whatever you're doing, we need a plan to get through, but we're pinned. We tried assaulting trough their entrance but it's too dicey. Sakura's planting a charge to bust a hole through the other end and we gotta escort her, but she's pinned down by their fire. She got stranded from her squad and the other engineers, and she's the only one with the satchels."

"No problem! Private Naruto Uzumaki to the rescue!" He yelled as he ran off to Sakura's position before we could even get ready. The enemy seemed more than determined to kill him as almost all their guns fixed on him

"Naruto! Damn it Naruto wait up!" I yelled, frantically getting up to catch him, dodging enemy fire.

"Why does that idiot always do that?" Neji asked.

"Don't look at me for the answer pal. I can't figure him out."

Naruto somehow evaded the bullets flying and slammed right next to Sakura, who was doing her best to stay alive and keep her precious cargo intact. All it took was one bullet to hit the right spot and everything within a 20 yard radius would be a crater.

"Naruto! Thank God someone came."

"That's me, the knight in shining armor! Believe it!"

"You have no idea how annoying that is! God why couldn't it have been Sasuke?"

"Hey I'm just tryin' to help!" He retorted sharply.

"Sorry. Well then thanks for coming, now be quiet for a second and listen. You see that entrance that looks blocked off? I gotta get these satchel charges over an' blow 'em so that we can create an assault route. I'm giving you one of mine in case I drop my own. But I need you…" as she poked him in the chest, "to make sure that I get there and back in one piece. You think you can handle that?"

"_She touched me…_" He thought to himself with a big smile on his face. "You got it Sakura! I'll protect you with my life!"

"_Ah Naruto, you're so noble. Too bad you're an idiot and a nuisance half the time_." Sakura thought to herself. "All right then, on three. One…two…three!"

Neji, Naruto's squad members, and I managed to catch Naruto and Sakura running to the breach position.

"Damn it! Couldn't she have waited?!?" Neji yelled.

"Apparently not corporal…" said Ayako, one of 4th Squad.

Neji grumbled. He always liked to do that. Kinda reminded me of Sasuke…the smoldering type, Neji just being more pretentious than moody.

"Well come on, we gotta get to them, otherwise they'll be torn to ribbons unless God magically steps in."

Bounding past every piece of cover they could find, Naruto and Sakura raced to get to the barred doors, taking down whatever enemy they could. The rest of 2nd Squad managed to spot them and provide cover. Kiba, Shino, and Hinata were among them. Hinata watched Naruto as he sped from point to point, charging the enemy, and blushed in admiration. Suddenly two soldiers rushed out of nowhere to engage Naruto from the side. Hinata managed to spot them before they could fire, her two comrades busy fighting other enemies.

"Kiba! Th-there's two on the right!"

"On it!" Kiba yelled. The three fired a hailstorm of bullets on them. They fell never knowing who got them and Naruto kept moving, oblivious to the fact that he was just saved again thanks to Hinata and her friends. Hinata knew she didn't hit the Soundies, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was that she was watching his back. They then noticed Neji, Shikamaru, and two others run after them in an attempt to reinforce the charge.

"We don't need to worry about them anymore guys! Neji can take it from here." Shino said as bullets hit their position, one grazing right by Kiba. "We've got our own concerns."

"Hurry! We're almost there!" Sakura yelled. At the corner of her eye she noticed four others coming to her assistance. "Come to join the fun guys?"

"No we're here to make sure your ass doesn't get shot up. Now let's plant these things and haul ass." Neji replied.

"Always the eloquent one Neji. I'm almost set, just cover me until I'm ready." She pulled the satchel charges from her arm and primed them. "Ok these babies have a ten second fuse time, which should just be enough for us to get to safety. Now the explosions will quite powerful, so we'll also need some serious cover, and let's not forget…"

"Just set the fucking things already!" I yelled, which surprisingly shut her up right quick.

"Set!"

"All right, pull back now! Move!" Neji screamed.

As I raced away from the doors, the countdown went off in my head, "5, 4, 3, 2, 1…" and as I managed to hop over a slab of bricks, a massive roar erupted from what were the sealed church doors. The shockwave flattened me as I was forced to hug the ground. Chunks of stone, wire, and metal flew in all directions, but we got the job done. The obstacle was breached and ready for us to get through. Seeing an opportunity, the platoon flooded more soldiers towards the breach, catching the Soundies off guard.

"They've got nowhere to go now! Blow them outta their ratholes!" Sasuke yelled. "We need grenades in there now!"

"Get 'em primed boys!" said Sarutobi. Almost our entire platoon was near the breach, save for a few cleaning up resistance in the dug-in positions. I managed to witness Tenten blow an MG nest right from under them with a well-placed rocket. "Pull pins, and throw!"

"Let 'em eat fuckin' pineapple!" Naruto screamed as he primed one of his grenades, joining several others as they flung them inside, most certainly killing at least a dozen of the enemy.

"Everyone inside! 1st Platoon will cover us outside!" The platoon sergeant ordered as we rushed in. The hallways were littered with ammo crates, broken pews, and the dead. The last pockets of resistance were flushed out with little effort with a fierce effort on our part. Some of the Soundies fought to the death which they got in ample amounts while some were smarter and surrendered. It was done.

"Get me the radio now!" Lee barked. "Great Tree this is Leaf 2, mission accomplished. The church is ours! Casualties are minimal with seven killed and twelve wounded. Platoon strength is still green, over."

"Roger that Leaf 2, excellent work. Continue to hold the objective with 1st Platoon and wait for our arrival." Captain Hatake said over the static of the radio.

"Ok you heard the captain. I want two men to escort the prisoners to the rear and I want medics here for triage on the double! Squad leaders get accountability and link up with Sergeant Yamato for security designation. Engineers, emplace mines and obstacles along the main routes while we cover you. We expect the Soundies to try and take this place back, but they shall do no such thing!"

Just when I thought it was over…


	5. Chapter 5

Things did manage to wind down a bit when we managed to establish the company forward base. Sure it was rushed and slightly disorganized, but what impressed me is how quickly Captain Hatake got to making sure it was adequately defendable. Ino, Hinata, and the other medical staff set up a makeshift triage area to treat the wounded, the dead and prisoners were brought to the rear via transport, and Sakura, Sai, and the rest of the engineer entourage were busy emplacing obstacles and other nasty little surprises should the Soundies get bold and counterattack. Choji and I positioned ourselves in the bell tower where the girl I killed was. I still felt a twinge of remorse over the fact that I killed her, but though he's an ass, Neji was kinda right, this is war. We stood there in silence, catching a glimpse of the whole village in all directions, reflecting on what just transpired. Resting up against the wall, I picked up my dusty canteen, brushed it, opened the cap and raised it to Choji.

"To Yona, may he be in a better place than we are now."

"To Yona, here here." He replied as we took a swig in memoriam. It sucked losing a member of your squad. It felt comparable to losing a family member like a cousin or something. I betcha it was worse for Sarutobi. It was his first loss in many months since we started this conflict. I remember a conversation I had with him once during the initial stages of the war…

"Hey Nara can I talk to you for a second?" Sarutobi asked me next to the campfire, lighting one of his smokes and taking a drag.

"Sure sergeant, what's up?"

"Want a smoke?" He offered me one of his Lucky Strikes.

"No thanks, I'm not really into smoking."

"It's all good. Listen, I wanted to talk about what you're doing here. I don't quite get it. I see how you perform and I see how you act. You're a gifted kid, smart as hell, shit probably one of the smartest amongst the kids your age, barring maybe Shino. But your attitude soldier, it's piss-poor. You're lazy, you sleep whenever you can, no initiative, and you're usually callous to most of your platoon."

"You flatter me sergeant."

"Don't be smart Nara. I see in you potential. If you stopped complaining and started taking the initiative, you coulda been corporal by now, or even sergeant! What gives?"

"You want my honest opinion or the sugarcoat sergeant?"

"You know me Nara, I never want bullshit, just what people truly think. To force my men and women to put rose-colored glasses on every time shit hits the fan would make me a lousy squad leader and that what I don't do, and that's why I'm still here as your leader, and I was pondering you becoming my replacement should something happen."

"Sergeant, first off I respect you, but in no way would I want your job, and please don't say things like that, with all due respect. The very thought of being accountable for the lives of others, even in circumstances beyond my control, is something I'll avoid at all costs. Second, the concept of me being a leader is too troublesome. I don't think I can do enough to earn respect. I'm just not that kind of guy, I'm not charismatic in the slightest."

"It doesn't matter how charismatic you are. Someone like First Sergeant Guy might care about trivial stuff like that but I don't. What matters most is if you can do your job, and do it well." He interrupted.

"Third, I just truly and honestly don't think I can possess the will to be a leader. You know me sergeant… I'm Shikamaru Nara, the squad sniper. I don't charge from the front unless forced to. I strike from the shadows and where people can't even see me. I seriously don't think right now I could handle the loss of one of 3rd Squad, which is why I am honestly not seeking that upward mobility."

"Hmmm…look I know you're a smart guy so I won't jerk you around. You keep trying to dodge the issue but one day it might creep up on you when you least expect it." He got up from the ammo box he sat on and looked down at me, eyes cold and hard. "I just pray you're ready when the time comes because in war, you never know when it'll come."

The last sentence echoed through my head again and again.

"Hey Choji…"

"Yeah Shikamaru?"

"I wondered, when do ya think this'll all end?"

"Why do you say that?"

"I dunno, I'm just getting tired. Day in, day out and still no clear end in sight. We just lost Yona and six others, and all the while the Soundies just keep coming. It's just so troublesome…I don't need this. I'm already jittery from surviving that last scrape."

"Complaining again Shikamaru, my how that's so not like you. You know it's starting to get on my nerves." Naruto barged in rudely climbing up the ladder. "Why don't you ever do anything constructive?"

"Oh great, you again." I lamented.

"Well I dunno Shikamaru, he's got a point. You do bitch and moan more that others."

"See? I told you I was right!"

"For a good reason!" I said in an attempt to defend myself.

"Like what Shikamaru? Come on, you're my friend and all, but you gotta look at it like this. We need to do this otherwise those Sound pricks will just walk all over everyone. But you, I think you'd rather sit your ass down on some patch of earth and just wait for it to be all over." His tone became more aggressive, as if something was getting him angrier. "Always complaining and doing nothing about it! Like a pansy!"

"Naruto..." Choji tried to butt in.

"What was that you little twit?!?" I grabbed him by the collar. "I put in my effort. I just make sure that I'm breathing the next day! Don't fluff me with that freedom from tyranny garbage! I wanted no part in this but I had to go!" I felt the blood rush to my face. "I don't go running off into bullets for childish recognition or some asinine medal or some broad unlike your dumb ass!" I knew mentioning Sakura would get his goat.

"Ah to hell with you! At least I know what I wanna fight for, even if it sounds childish to most. You on the other hand, I don't even how you live with yourself!"

I almost jabbed him in the face for that, but stopped halfway.

"HEY! Stop it both of you! Naruto that was harsh. I can't believe you're both doing this to each other." Choji stepped in. "Come on man, we're all pals. I know we just stopped shooting about two hours ago but damn…"

I grip loosened on Naruto's collar. Taking a deep breath, I realized I almost flew off the handle. "You're right. I'm sorry Naruto. I'm just thinking too much again, heh, you know, filling my mind with crazy thoughts."

"Nah it's ok Shikamaru. I shouldn't have jerked ya like that. The stress is kinda gettin' to me too. You're still hung up on that Sound woman you shot huh?"

"Yeah..." I admitted ashamedly. "I don't know why either."

"We do a lot of things we don't wanna do in war Shikamaru. What really matters is how you felt about it and what you can do to never do it again."

"Thanks Choji. However I think we've only seen the tip of the iceberg."

Choji was always the middle man in our little trio. Naruto was the excited, enthusiastic, and emotional one and I'd usually be the resident cynic and all-around sloth, which of course led to confrontation once in a while. He was a great counter-balance to our little arguments that we'd have from time to time. I always valued his ability to step in before things ever came to blows.

Another hour passes by and still nothing. I woulda taken a power nap if the threat of Sarutobi beating me over the head didn't exist. Naruto, Choji, and I were still up in the watch tower, working the binoculars and giving the occasional report. Everything cooled after our little spat, which Naruto and I still felt a twinge of guilt over. Stress can make the worst enemies out of the best of friends. I noticed Naruto sulking while watching Sakura and Sasuke pal around together, getting a little touchy-feely when no one was watching, or at least when they thought no one was watching. Wow for a guy that all angst like he is, it all seems to go away when he's with Sakura. That must be nice.

"Man, what's that creep got that I don't got?" He lamented.

"Oh I dunno, rank, authority, that 'bad boy' attitude which makes Sakura and Ino swoon at the mere sight of. Personally I'd rather stick my finger down my throat and vomit my rations instead of deal with that, but that's just me." I answered, adding that last line just for a little extra mean-spirited flavor.

"I know if I keep trying, I'll win her. Just watch me!"

"Man oh man Naruto will you give it a rest?" Choji complained. "She's not that into you. Why don't you go after..."

"Yeah but I can change people, even Sakura...I'm good like that. You'll see. One day I'll do something so heroic, she'll be like, 'Oh Naruto, you're so brave and strong. I love you!'" He replied confidently, interrupting Choji's sentence.

"Ok...fine. Just keep dreamin' Naruto."

I happened to also notice amongst the medics Hinata, just sitting there, probably daydreaming, about who or what even the village idiot could get. Then I saw Neji busting her chops about something stupid. He never cut her any slack since I've known her. Always the asshole, Neji had some grudge against Hinata since they were kids. Hinata came from the main branch of the Hyuga family while Neji was just a side branch in the family tree. Hinata got the privileges of being in the main branch while Neji had to suffer ostracism from the higher-ups in his family. Though she meant no malice towards him, he saw her as another reminder of his frustration with the Hyuga family. I felt sorry for Hinata's situation because I knew her and she really didn't deserve the treatment. After the verbal torture Neji just stormed off somewhere while she sat down, tears almost ready to stream down her face. Meanwhile I had to deal with my other hopeless dreamer friend and his ambitions.

"So whaddaya think Shikamaru? Ya think I still have a chance with Ino?" Choji asked glancing down the tower, watching Ino unload supplies from one of the trucks. I noticed his blushing as he watched Ino sitting down, laughing with Sakura, trading jabs about who belongs to Sasuke, and playing with her hair as if she saw Choji watching and was toying with him. I said before that he was a good middle man, but that didn't prevent him from the occasional daydreamer attitude change. Whenever he did in the past all I had to do was mention food or the prospect of me buying some and he'd snap back to normal Choji.

"HA! Oh man Choji..." I couldn't help myself, "I'm sorry, but I swear this has been like the four-hundredth time you've asked me that and I keep givin' you the same answer. Until she's over Sasuke and that's a big if by the way, you ain't got a snowball's chance in hell."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence Sure Shot." He muttered in disappointment with a hint of anger.

"What did I say about that name?"

"That is was ok to call you that whenever we felt like it?" Naruto playfully asked, evoking a light chuckle out of Choji.

"Idiots..." My friends...man they're troublesome.

A few peeks through my scope showing nothing in the horizon. Man this was boring. If there was one thing I despised more than having to pull detail, it was pulling lookout duty. Another hour wasted that I shoulda been able to spend sleeping.

"Any sign of 'em Shikamaru?" Choji asked.

"Nah. I've still got nothing."

It became quiet again. Things were winding down in our makeshift camp. Choji was half-asleep at the machine gun and Naruto had meandered down in an attempt to socialize. Everyone seemed refit and loaded up. From what I understood Dog and Easy Companies were to arrive with armor and sweep the rest of the village for us in another half-hour or so. Afterwards the Cloud Village would be another place Sound-free, as God intended.

Suddenly I caught a faint noise followed by a puff of smoke. All the commotion that was going on stopped and a deathly silence surrounded the church. I looked through my scope to get a peek at what was going on, only for my eyes to widen as I also heard the distinctive "_chunk_" sound of a mortar tube. They came back, and in spades.

"EVERYONE DOWN! MORTARS!" I screamed at the top of my lungs and the very second I did two explosions rocked the area, the first tore apart a barbed wire section Sai had set up, the second ripping right through one of 3rd Platoon's Jeeps as the driver bailed just in the nick of time. Dust, smoke, rock, and metal flew everywhere in a cacophony of explosions. The Sound mortar teams had gotten themselves out of the range of Choji and I by behind the houses. Damn...these guys could only be countered by our mortars.

"Fox Company! Get to your positions! They've come back and they're not kidding around! I want mortars in secure locations to establish counter-fire now!" Captain Hatake bellowed.

"1st and 2nd Platoon!" First Sergeant Guy followed while we endured the mortar fire, watching him in his bravado. "You are tasked with holding this church at all costs! 3rd and 4th will defend the side roads to ensure we aren't flanked! Remember I'll be with you guys so we're destined not to fail. You all think you can handle that?"

"Yes First Sergeant!" The men and women of Fox Company yelled.

"Good! Because they're coming right now!"

The barrage continued to pound us despite our efforts with our own mortars. The whole place shook something fierce as we desperately got in whatever cover we could. Choji and I held our ground in the tower but I wish we hadn't. Puffs of exhaust and smoke bellowed from the streets behind buildings and the menacing presence of Sound armor brought my heart to my throat.

"StuGs! They've got StuGs!" I yelled. The StuG was a Sound assault gun that was meant for pounding infantry mercilessly. I only noticed two of them, but I also saw armored halftracks in the vicinity. One of the StuGs stopped, half of it concealed from a building, but the main gun slowly rotating to our direction.

"Oh fuck..."

"Outta here now! Move!" I yelled as I slid down the ladder followed buy Choji, and not a moment too soon. About five seconds later a massive boom erupted from the tank and hit the church tower, causing it to collapse and fall to the side, large chunks of stone falling down the hatch and nearly nailing us in the head. "Jesus H. Christ! That was too close!"

Choji and I ran to find 3rd Squad, all the while everyone else got in their respective positions. This was bad...this was really bad. The mortars continued to pound us, one getting a sneak peek inside but luckily only hitting some supplies. Meanwhile one of the halftracks tried to zoom its way up only to get torn apart by the mines. We cheered momentarily, knowing the battle was far from over. The guys were shook up more than I could imagine. We were getting pounded with no way to fight back outside of our own mortars which were firing away as we waiting for them to come. Another missed the medical area by about 10 meters, but not before shrapnel went through some of their equipment and slicing some poor kid in the leg. Ino bolted to rescue the guy, dragging him by his shirt to a safer area to treat him. Hinata was huddled in a corner, whimpering with her rifle clutched, and Shino trying to get her out of her funk.

"HINATA! HINATA COME ON! You have to get up! You have to get with your squad!" He yelled.

"Leave her!" Neji barked. "We're under goddamn attack!"

"Fuck you! Are you in our squad?" Kiba growled. To that Neji got even more pissed and ran off to his squad.

The poor girl was already shook up from Neji, the Soundies coming, and the screaming of the wounded and other soldiers just made it worse. The constant barrage was getting to her head. "I-I-I can't...I can't move. I can't do this. Please go...p-please..." I've seen it before, when people just lose their will, the chaos becoming overwhelming.

"Naruto!" I yelled to get his attention. He looked at me in puzzlement as I jerked my head in Hinata's direction. He caught the sight of her crying as Kiba and Shino shook her to get her going, Hinata resisting their efforts to get her up. He paused for a minute then ran over.

"Hinata...come on Hinata you have to get up and fight!"

"N-Naruto? Is, is that you?"

"Yes it's me," he replied grasping her shoulder, "listen I know things are scary right now and you've never been through this, but we have to fight. You have a job to do and you have to be a strong woman right now. I know you can do that. I believe in you. You don't want these bastards to get you do you?"

"Naruto..."

"Come on, I'll help you up."

The fighting was all around us but yet in that brief moment, as I watched him help her to her feet, wiping the tears from her dust-caked face with his hand, I saw a true comrade in Naruto. I saw Hinata move her lips though I couldn't hear it. I'm sure I saw her say, "Thank you," to him as he patted her on the arm and took off back to his position as she joined Shino and Kiba. I almost felt a twinge of happiness that is until the Sound infantry came.

"Shit! Here they come 3rd! All guns ready to fire! I want no mercy on these bastards. Remember what they did to Yona!" Sarutobi yelled as we were still pounded, but this time by the StuGs. The mortars must've either been silenced or relocated. Didn't matter now since we were still getting the crap pounded out of us. Soon the Soundies got in range and screamed like madmen as they charged our lines.

"2nd Platoon! Fire at will!" Lee screamed as we let loose on them, cutting them down like wheat before the scythe.

They still kept coming though, even if they just saw their comrades perforated into Swiss cheese. The halftracks were rolling in as well, disposing whatever ordnance they had on us. A sandbag position blew apart in two from a StuG round, sending two of our guys flying into the wall and opening a gap. 1st Squad rushed to plug it up, despite being under heavy fire. Another one of 1st went down as the MG in the StuG clipped him in his midsection and chest.

"Son of a bitch!" Neji yelled in frustration. "We gotta take that armor out!"

The StuG kept trolling along, covering the advancing infantry. Things were going shitty really, really quick. Luckily we were still able to slow down their advance thanks to the engineer obstacles. As the StuG to the front of us lumbered along, it paused to destroy one of the tank traps in front of it, only to roll on a couple mines, blowing off its tracks on one side. The beast was immobilized, but not defanged.

"All right! Tenten, get a good vantage point and finish that fucker off!" Sergeant Morino ordered.

"On it!" She did a roadie run to the nearest opening, clutching her Bazooka as Neji covered her advance from the infantry. Finding a small opening, she had just a few seconds before the StuG got wise to her and blew her to kingdom come.

"Loaded!" She yelled, and in an instant, a huge trail of smoke flew from the church and careened down the road. It was a direct hit, as the rocket penetrated the armor and a plume of flame and smoke erupted from the top of the StuG. We cheered furiously.

"Great shot Tenten that was one in a million! I could kiss you right now!" Neji yelled as he pat her on the back.

The Soundies saw one of their assault guns down and faltered, but didn't stop. 1st Platoon was getting whacked with repeated storm-trooper attacks, already losing ten percent of their guys. The church was falling apart at its foundations and Lord knew when it would cave in on us, but we still held, like a lion defending its young we still held. The halftracks fired their assault guns and rockets on us, taking large chunks of the outer walls and spraying us with dust and stone. To my horror I saw another StuG approaching.

"Sergeant! StuG to the northeast, it's comin' in fast!" I said to Sarutobi.

"Damn it...we gotta take those guns out now! Sergeant Yamato, we have trouble!" He alerted to the platoon sergeant who also spotted the other vehicle.

"Shit, all right we need all anti-tank weaponry on those guns on the double! I want all gaps filled with as much as you can muster!" And with that, the soldiers carrying Bazookas like Tenten's or recoilless rifles hurried up to whatever opening they could find, unleashing their rounds on the guns. However, the guns saw them and in the hurried attempt to take them out, three soldiers from our anti-armor section were blown apart from a tank round. Tenten fired at the incoming StuG, only to glance it and knock it off course. 1st Platoon's anti-tank section got a few rounds off, destroying the monster, but to only hear another one coming at our west flank. Meanwhile my squad and 4th were pinned down from the Sound advance.

"Jesus...we gotta take out that other gun!" Matarashi screamed, pissed that she couldn't do anything about it. The second she said that it fired and blew up what was 4th Squad's machine gunner. Our squad and Naruto's were huddled together to form what defense we could.

Naruto then glanced at his side for a second. His eyes then lit up like a Christmas tree, he still had one of Sakura's satchel charges.

"Guys I got an idea!" He said, which by the way, was probably the last thing anyone wanted to hear coming out of his mouth. "But you gotta cover for me ok?"

"Wait Naruto what do you..." and before his squad mate Kuze could finish, the little gremlin took off to try and flank the StuG.

"Damn it...this is just like Sakura and the charges all over again!" I complained.

"What? Where is that little bastard running off to?" Sergeant Mitarashi asked her squad, only to get blank stares. "UZUMAKI! You get back here right now!"

He apparently did not listen since he continued to run off.

"Naruto!" I yelled, getting myself up to try and catch him only to be yanked down hard by Sarutobi.

"No Nara, you stay right here! If the kid wants a death wish, then so be it, but your ass stays here."

"But sergeant..." I protested.

"I said stay here!" He snapped. After a second or two he sighed, "At least we can try and cover him if his plan works."

All I could do is watch, desperately trying to keep the Soundies off Naruto's back as he ran like hell from point to point, lucky that the StuG didn't spot him.

"Come on Naruto, come on! You're almost there." He thought to himself, clutching his satchel charge feverishly. "They're all countin' on you so you gotta do this!"

Naruto ran behind the stone wall in front of a cafe, stopping to catch his breath, rethinking how to go about his assault. A Sound soldier quickly rushed in and caught him off guard. Naruto tackled him down to the ground, knocking his B.A.R. out of his hand, the soldier losing his rifle as well. The two wrestled around in mortal combat, the Sound soldier desperately trying to kill Naruto with his knife, Naruto holding the knife back with every ounce of strength he had. Inch by inch the knife got closer, the situation getting worse. Fumbling around, he searched for something to grab, finding a piece of broken stone. With all the effort he could muster, he smashed the soldier's head with the rock, knocking him off. Stumbling to his feet, he screamed with rage as he grabbed his trench blade and dug it deep in the enemy's chest. The Sound soldier convulsed wildly for a few seconds, then lay still. Naruto struggled to catch his breath, staring at the dead man, fresh crimson blood running down his cheeks, before he ran off. What was going to happen to his friends depended on him and him alone.

Few seemed to actually notice the small Leaf soldier scrambling toward the vehicle, which was ironic considering the noise he makes amongst his own comrades.

"One-hundred fifty yards, gotta keep goin'. One-hundred thirty…one-hundred twenty. Keep pushing Naruto keep pushing!"

"There's one of them!" A Sound rifleman announced! "Kill him now!" Two more came to his aid, raining submachine gun fire on him as he dove to the side. "We're gonna get you Leaf boy! Give up now!"

"No chance!" Naruto retorted as he swung around and fired a few shots off, felling one of his pursuers. Immediately the Sound soldiers doubled their numbers, pouring fire on the young soldier. Then a crack roared as one of them flew back five feet and about five seconds later another Soundie crumpled to the ground. Naruto turned to catch a faint glimpse of Shikamaru and the others lending a hand, despite their own troubles trying to survive the onslaught. "Thanks guys…" he whispered. Taking the opportunity given by the pause from the other two soldiers, he quickly took aim and dropped them as well. Confident his friends had his back. "I'm almost there, fifty yards…forty…thirty. Twenty!" He had just gotten in range when the StuG finally noticed him, turning its gun slowly, Naruto winding up for the throw, recalling what Sakura had said about the explosives. Ten seconds was all he needed as he primed the charge.

"Open up an' say 'Ah!' you Sound bastards!" He roared as he threw the charge as best he could to the underbelly of the monster, the seconds counting down but feeling like minutes. "Boom!" He whispered to himself while desperately running for cover, then a force of unimaginable power swept through him, and everything went black.

I witnessed the whole thing while covering that little mouse's half-cocked, Lone Ranger assault. He made it that far and threw the charge with all the might he could find. The eruption of flame and smoke shook the very grounds of the battlefield, both Leaf and Sound forces losing their footing. In that second Naruto became a platoon hero as we cheered wildly despite the chaos that ensued. Somehow his effort managed to reinvigorate our will to fight and soon we were repulsing them mercilessly. To my horror, I saw Naruto flying in the air from the blast, slamming into a wall and then to the ground, where he laid on his side motionless. I prayed that my fears were not confirmed.

"Jesus Christ Naruto!" I yelled, alerting my comrades to the situation. "We gotta go get him!"

"NO! It's too dangerous!" Sarutobi replied.

"What the hell just happened?" Sasuke asked as he, Sakura, and Hinata rushed over to get a sight.

"Naruto…he got the StuG, but he's down…" Choji said, sweat dripping down his brow like bullets, worried sick about the fate of our friend.

Hinata looked at the site of the downed StuG and then widened her eyes more than if she was staring death in the face. She saw him, lying there, still as a rock. "N-No…NO! NARUTO!" She screamed, and then without warning, as if something or someone entirely different had just possessed her body, she took off, into the maelstrom of the fighting, ignoring the bullets going after her.

"Hinata get back here! God damn it I said back here now private!" Sasuke bellowed at the top of his lungs, but she wouldn't listen.

"She's gonna get herself killed!" Sakura complained.

"Fuck this…I'm going after them." I said, impulsively taking off myself to aid Hinata. I wasn't gonna lose two friends while sitting on my thumbs. I heard Sarutobi protesting and threatening, but it didn't matter, because those two needed my help, and when Naruto scolded me before about doing nothing, I aimed to prove him wrong.

Holding onto my Springfield as tightly as possible, I ran right after the medic chasing after her idol. I turned to see Sasuke and Sakura in hot pursuit. This was turning into a fun little social now wasn't it? I must say, for a quiet, timid, and unconfident girl like Hinata, she could sprint like hell when Naruto's life depended on it.

"Hinata! Hinata get to Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and I will cover you!" I yelled as I managed to catch up to her. A Sound soldier appeared from the corner of the wrecked StuG aiming at me, but luckily Hinata out of nowhere instinctively picked up her Carbine and cranked a few rounds, dropping him flat. She paused for a second, near terrified but filled with the thrill of battle, since I knew that was her first confirmed kill. It was as if she was a completely different person. I grabbed her shoulder, "Come on Hinata, he needs you." She nodded in agreement as we sprinted again to Naruto's prostrated form. When we reached him, I scanned the area for any immediate trouble while Hinata checked on him.

"He's alive! Th-thank God! He's alive!"

"Then we need to get him to safety before we're all gonna need rescuing!"

"Cover me Shikamaru. Oh and one other thing..."

"What's that?"

"Thank you. You're the only one who willingly ran off to help me."

"When this is all said and done I'm gonna kill the both of you!" Sasuke growled as he approached us.

"Cool it babe, we're in some rough shit and these Soundies are gonna have us dead to rights if we don't pull back now!" Sakura said, calming her boyfriend down just a notch.

"Oh shit, they've spotted us! We gotta move...NOW!" Sasuke barked as we covered for Hinata. She struggled for a second trying to get a hold of Naruto.

"Hinata let me help you." I offered.

"No Shikamaru, this is my duty, to take care of him. You have to let me do this." She insisted, and with all her might, might I've never seen before, she managed to rest him on her shoulder, his arm slung around her neck. "It's...it's ok Naruto." She gasped under the stress of his weight. "I've got you and I won't...I won't let you die. Not...not o-on my watch!" Step by step she struggled, but somehow, someway she kept going, the three of us keeping her safe from harm.

"Hinata..." Sakura said in amazement.

"Shit guys...we've got trouble!" Sasuke said as the roar of two halftracks came barreling down the road into the courtyard, guns blazing away. We scrambled behind whatever cover we could find, the MG42s chipping away at the stone and concrete protecting us. Hinata shared a small section of blasted-out wall with Naruto, still unconscious, and held him tight to her. "_If only Naruto was awake..._" I thought to myself. A loud boom emanated from in front of us as Tenten must've landed a direct hit on the left halftrack, disabling the vehicle, but not stopping some of the soldiers to get out. We fired back to keep them at bay.

"Uh-uhnnnnn...who are you?" a stunned Naruto slurred to Hinata. "Hmmm...Am I dead? Are you...an angel?" He must've been delirious from the shock. Blood was running over his face, but he wasn't shot thank God. Hinata looked at him for a second, and held him closer. If they were to die here, at least they'd die together, even if Naruto didn't know.

"Don't worry Naruto...I'll take care of you." She replied, knowing full well that he didn't know who she was. He smiled weakly then blacked out again.

"Incoming guys! This one's headin' right for us at full speed!" Sakura yelled as the other halftrack sped to overrun us. This was it...we were pinned, trapped like rats. Its gun was blazing, grazing me in the arm and sending me laying down in pain. The Sound infantry soon followed. Damn it...

Suddenly a streak of smoke flew through the air as the second halftrack was rocked by an explosion as it landed on its side and scraped the ground, sparks flying everywhere and a grinding noise that could wake the dead.

"What the hell? Where did that come from?" Sasuke questioned, and upon opening his mouth, a chorus of automatic fire rained unmercifully on the advancing Sound infantry. Many of them were cut down on the spot, not only from our fire in the church but this new mysterious offensive that opened up just behind us. Another rocket screamed down one of the roofs and finished off the disabled halftrack. Bewildered and distraught, the Soundies suddenly started pulling back. I wasn't able to get a glimpse of who was firing, only hearing the cracks of their rifles and staccatos of their heavy weapons.

"Holy shit! They're buggin' out! We did it!" Sakura cheered as we saw our guys flood out of the church to make sure the Soundies didn't get away. Cheers and gunfire erupted from Fox Company as they chased their retreating aggressors back to where they came from.

"Naruto...did you hear that? We won...we won...we...won." Hinata said as she too became exhausted, losing the almost Herculean courage she possessed before. She closed her eyes for a second, still holding on to Naruto.

"Well we survived. That was a close one." Sasuke said with a smug grin on his face.

"Yeah we did...but from whom I wonder..." I replied. We were saved not by our own guys. Was it another company? Was it a bunch of Cloud villagers?

"All clear on the north!" A voice rang from the building behind us.

"All clear on the east!" Another voice said from one of a building to the right of us where Naruto was.

"All clear on the west!" A third voice said from the cafe to the left of me. "Ok all clear! Signal the Leaf soldiers!" And with that a metal pole with a white flag stuck out from the third floor window, an insignia scribbled on it.

"Hey Shikamaru, can you make out what that is?" Sasuke requested.

"Hold on I can't make it out yet..." I answered, waiting for the flag to unfurl itself. When it did I was surprised to see something I never expected at all.

"What is it Shikamaru? Something the matter?" Sakura asked me as she turned to look, only to share the same shocked expression. "What the hell?"

From the loft of the building behind us, a large distinct "I" shape insignia displayed itself in black as the flag flew in the gentle breeze. Never did I expect them of all people to help us. Never did I expect the Sand Village...


	6. Chapter 6

"Well I'll be damned…" Sasuke muttered, "And just in the nick of time too!"

While I was listening, the burning hulk of the halftracks reminded me of how close we came to death. As a matter of fact, I was speechless as to how we survived the whole ordeal, chasing after Naruto and Hinata who by the way were still lying by the blasted wall together. The faint snaps of gunfire still echoed in the distance, as Dog and Easy Companies must've finally gotten here and were chasing the Soundies out. I took a deep breath, wishing I had taken some of Sarutobi's cigarettes when I had the chance. If there was any time for a celebratory smoke, this would be it.

"Hey Nara, you think they're ok?" Sakura asked as she pointed to Naruto and Hinata. "They're both out like a light."

I chuckled. "Oh hell, they'll be all right, let 'em have their moment, or should I say let Hinata have her moment."

"Wow talk about a Kodak moment. How touching." Sakura mused out loud.

"I think I'm gonna be sick." Sasuke moaned.

"Oh come on babe…kinda reminds me of summers back home if ya get my drift?" She replied as she wrapped her arm around his and leaned in for a peck on the cheek.

"Shikamaru! Holy shit Shikamaru, are you all right?" Choji yelped as he ran towards my position. I was greeted with a bear hug that nearly squeezed the life outta me. "That took balls, serious balls of steel."

"Meh, whatever."

A hand come out of left field and shoved me to the ground. I looked up to see Sarutobi, glaring at me with eyes of pure malice. Shit I'm in trouble now.

"S-s-sergeant…" The words trembling meekly out of my mouth, only to have him grab my collar and yank me in front of his face.

"Nara, God damn it Nara. What you did was reckless, stupid, and inconsiderate to the rest of your squad! I have a good mind to have your ass in a sling right now!" His tone was fierce. The smoke from his lit cigarette blasted me in my face while I fought the urge to cough knowing that doing so would warrant a beating.

"S-sergeant...I know it was reckless, but..."

"But nothing! I expected more out of you and you do this?!?" At this point I'm tensing up for whatever pounding he might unleash on me, but surprisingly he puts me down and pats his hand on my shoulder. "However, what you also did was brave and something I really didn't expect out of you. You helped Private Hyuga rescue Private Uzumaki and neither one of them are even in your squad. You're all alive and those Soundie fucks left with their tails between their legs. As pissed as I am at you Nara, I'm also proud of you. Damn fine job soldier!" He slapped my grazed arm, provoking the most awful sting I've ever felt in my life.

I didn't know whether to be really happy or really upset. Ino and Choji were completely dumbfounded as they, like me, were expecting a bonafide ass-whupping courtesy of our squad leader.

"Heh heh...thanks sergeant." I replied as I masked my surprise and pain behind a big effort smile.

"Hey sergeant, what about these two?" Ino asked concerning Naruto and Hinata.

"Get some stretchers for 'em and bring 'em to the rear for some rest. They deserved it."

With that Ino signaled the rest of our squad to get some stretchers as we made our way back to the church, which still held thank God. The damage was done though. 1st and 3rd Platoons took on nearly twenty percent casualties, with 4th taking almost as much. We lost another six to enemy fire along with some of our anti-armor equipment, medical supplies, and light vehicles. I certainly hope Easy Company's Shermans made sure the Soundies paid back in full. It would take a few days for our numbers to be back at full strength. My friends survived though...thank God.

"Well, it looks like you guys have had your share of excitement. Just looking at Uzumaki and Hyuga proves that wouldn't you agree private?" Capt. Hatake asked me as he walked up to us, almost everyone freezing still. The captain never said anything to me since we've started which shocked me. Few of the guys knew anything about the captain, especially what he looked like. For reasons unknown his face was concealed with a mask that he rarely if ever took off, and if he did we never saw it.

"Yes sir...absolutely sir." I replied meekly, struck by my own lack of confidence around him.

"Good work! Damn good work I must say! That's Leaf Village youth for you...always on the attack!" the First Sergeant interjected as he surveyed the scarred landscape, strewn with ruined Sound armor and dead infantry. He turned to Lee, "And Lee, you trained your soldiers well. Kudos!" and congratulated him with a thumbs up and a smile.

"First Sergeant! Thank you. I had no doubts they could get the job done!" He replied as if he were under his command.

"You guys are lucky. Had our friends not shown up I think you woulda been like those Soundies over there."

"Our friends First Sergeant?" Sakura asked.

"Ah yes I nearly forgot to mention them. In fact here they are right now! Welcome ladies and gentlemen. Allow me to introduce you to Fox Company." Guy said to our approaching guests. One of them, half of his face covered by a cloth, stepped forward.

"I am honored to be alongside the Leaf Village soldiers. My name is Baki and we are but a small portion of the resistance from the Sand Village. I apologize for not being able to assist sooner. We have been observing your movements for quite some time, watching you beat back the treacherous Sound army."

"How they managed to accomplish that I'll never know..." came a female voice amongst the civilian fighters. A few of them stepped to the side to reveal a rather stunning woman. Tall, blonde, and certainly fierce given the look on her blue eyes, she stood there glaring with her own scoped rifle clutched in her hand. "They certainly don't look like they could beat the Soundies."

"God damn Shikamaru! Who's the babe?" Choji whispered to me.

"The hell if I know..." though I admit I was caught by her looks, despite her demeanor. Giving in to temptation, I snapped back at her. "You mind repeating that lady?"

She turned to me and was about to strike right back, but her leader stopped her.

"That's enough from you! These people are our allies against the Sound and it would not be proper for us to get off on the wrong foot now would it?"

"No Baki...it wouldn't."

One of the guys next to her, a brown-haired man slinging a Panzerschrek starting chuckling. "Once again your mouth already ruins the first impression huh sis?"

"Shut up!" She snapped as she wrapped him on the head. We could see the look of embarrassment on Baki's face. A younger looking kid was next to him, with reddish hair and no eyebrows, holding on to an MP44 assault rifle. He almost had the look of death on his face, which was creeping Choji out. I was too preoccupied with the woman now about to clinch the top spot for scariest woman next to my mother.

"Anyway I apologize for that little disruption."

"No worries Baki." replied Capt. Hatake. "Now, let's get down to business. I believe you had something for us."

"Yes of course. Recently we've been noticing movements by the Sound towards the Land of the Waterfall. There is already a Water regiment attempting an airborne invasion and they'll be crushed if we don't help. Now given our position it will take a while to reach there since we cannot go through or over the Land of Sound. It is way too heavily defended."

"Figures as much. No wonder Colonel Jiraiya and Colonel Tsunade opposed a direct invasion." First Sergeant Guy said.

"Right. Now I'm sure we can arrange some sort of air transport. I'll have to contact my superiors for a precise plan," added the captain.

"We have a few fighters located nearby. They've been in hiding from the Soundies for a few weeks, waiting for you and the Water forces to come."

"Well we won't disappoint them."

"Excellent. Then preparations need to be made as soon as possible. I regret that I must stay here and continue the fight and help liberate the rest of this part of the land, but you needn't worry. We have contacts throughout the lands that will assist whoever takes on the Soundies."

"Well we appreciate your help in this battle," said Yamato as the platoon congregated to listen in on the conversation.

"In the mean time, I will leave you with three of my most trusted fighters. I feel it necessary to split our forces and integrate them with our allies to give whatever edge we can give to you or the Water military, especially to contact our cell in the Waterfall lands. I think they'll prove quite useful in your missions." He signals the redhead, Panzerschreck guy, and the blonde dame up. "I'd like to introduce you to Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari, or the 'Sand Siblings' as we have dubbed them. They're some of the best I have. Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari, I will be emplacing you with Fox Company to assist in their endeavors." A look of shock came over their faces.

"Much obliged Baki. Lee," Capt. Hatake said as he approached, "I'm entrusting you to take these three in your platoon. I'm sure you're more than up to the task right?"

"Sir, yes sir! I am more than capable."

"What?!? You're leaving us with these Leaf kids Baki?" Temari complained, earning a few frowns from our platoon.

"You got a problem with that lady?" I snapped again. For some reason she really pushed my buttons when usually I'd brush such statements off.

"Who is this imbecile?" she asked with a sense of superiority.

"Name's Shikamaru Nara and I won't be talked down to by some Sand girl like you. You sure talk tough, but I'd like to see if you can back it up." I could tell that got her goat as she clenched her teeth, ready to pounce on me had there not been everyone watching.

"Nara, calm down. No sense getting in a spat over trivial BS." Sarutobi pulled me back while speaking softly so the guys didn't hear.

"For once I have to agree with her Baki, we don't wanna leave you and the rest of the guys." Kankuro added.

"I know your heart is with us, but I stress that we need to help whoever we can, and with some of our men stranded in the Waterfall area, contact with outside cells like us is crucial."

"Hmph," said the creepy redhead. "Whatever…I don't care. As long as it gets me a chance to kill more enemies..."

"Seriously Baki, we don't wanna go, especially to people of another country!" Kankuro moaned.

"I'm not asking you if you want to go with them, I'm telling you that you are joining them!" He stepped closer to the officers, out of the range of the three. "Captain Hatake, Lieutenant Lee, I know they may seem insolent, but they'll come around. Give them time…"

Begrudgingly, the three siblings walked towards Lt. Lee and Yamato, Temari giving me the evil eye as she passed. It was like a five-second stare-down. God I hope I don't get stuck babysitting her. That dame will be troublesome the whole way through. Lee, the platoon sergeant, and the squad leaders all congregated with the three and chatted away.

"Already making friends Shikamaru…nice." Said Ino as she chided me for my remarks.

"Hey she started it!"

"And we revert to eight years old again! That's two for two Shikamaru. Care to go for the hat trick?"

"Meh…I don't have to listen to you. You're as bratty as they come Ino. Just look at you and Sakura pining for Sasuke, or is that a sore subject for you eh Miss Maturity?"

"What did you say?!?" She angrily replied. Ha…score one for me. Girls are so easy to upset when they rag on you and then you fight back.

"Ino!" exclaimed Choji as he desperately attempted to hold her back. "He didn't mean it!"

"The hell he didn't! You punk…I'll beat your ass!" She yelled to me as I mocked her from a safe distance. Ino was fun to make fun, given her obsession with looks and fashion. I always thought she was too skinny and needed some meat on her bones...kinda like that Temari broad.

"Now, now children...let's save the silly games for when our guests are no longer among us. Besides Shikamaru, you're embarrassing yourself in front of the blonde woman." Shino said in his typical eloquent fashion, noticing my recent spat with Temari. "I would hate for you to tarnish your reputation as the best shot in front of another sniper, albeit from another nation."

That's the thing about Shino...underneath his aura of smug intellect lied a hidden and well-meaning motive. He looked out for his friends, having to play the role of negotiator and peacemaker when tensions ran high, like once during a big argument and potential fight that Kiba and Sai had over some meaningless crap. Sai said something derogatory in his usual manner and Kiba in typical fashion became ultra-emotional in less than a second. Luckily Shino managed to step in and made sure no one threw a punch.

I blushed for a second. "Maybe you're right Shino…"

"Thank you. Now then, I hear we're moving back to the rear for some rest and resupplying. It behooves us to get on the first transports back."

"But we need to check in with Sarutobi and the other squad leaders first don't we?" Choji asked.

"Oh Choji did I forget to mention we'd get first dibs on chow?"

"I'm sold…"

"Ha…didn't take you long to debate that. By the way Shino, where's the other third to our crowd, good old Naruto?"

"Oh him? He and Hinata are already in the rear getting patched up. Hinata just needs some rest, but that poor sap Naruto's still out like a light, Lord knows when he'll recover. From what I've heard he got a pretty bad concussion or worse."

"Shit…" I knew Naruto took a pretty hard landing and was semi-coherent before he blacked out during the Sound assault, but I actually didn't think he'd be that hurt. We made our way back to the rear camp, satisfied that our job here was done.

After the medics and the wounded were unloaded, Choji and I were the next group to come in. It was getting close to the evening as the smell of hot chow filled the air. Immediately the aroma intoxicated Choji and I, my mouth involuntarily salivating at the prospect of some decent food. Sure it was Army food which never translated into top quality, but by God it was something edible outside of our rations.

"Now remember big guy, the key word here is restraint. Leave some for the rest of us." Ino warned.

"Oh…oh yeah, of course Ino. I'll leave some for ya."

"The more you leave the better Choji since she looks like she needs it." I added sarcastically only to receive a slug to the arm.

The meals comprised of plain rice, some overcooked roast beef which felt more like eating pulped paper, and biscuits. It wasn't much but like I said it beat food out of a tin any day of the week. Choji managed to finagle himself an extra helping and still finished before Ino and I could. He wasn't a fatty anymore, but I'll be damned if he still didn't eat like one.

"God damn Choji...looks like old habits refuse to die quickly huh?" Sarutobi said as he approached us.

"Sorry sergeant, guess I got a little carried away."

"Ha, don't worry about it private. You earned your meal and your rest. By the way, how's your knucklehead friend Uzumaki and where is he?"

"He's still in the medical section sergeant," answered Ino. "I checked up on him before we left the church and he's not doing so hot. We're hoping he'll regain consciousness soon. Private Hyuga said he was able to talk when she rescued him, but it was barely coherent before he blacked out."

"Hmmmm…damn that's a shame. He's a good kid too."

"Yeah…"

"Nara, Akimichi, how about you check up on him? I'm sure he could use some company even if he doesn't know you're there. Don't worry about stayin' here…I'll take care of things while you go see your friend."

"Good idea. Thanks sergeant."

Our bellies full and satisfied, we made our way towards the medical tent with some extra chow. The air reeked of carbon, food, sterilized equipment, and dried blood. My arm felt better since the battle. Ino patched me up pretty good though it wasn't really a serious wound. We were about halfway through when we spotted the captain and first sergeant walking out of the tent with Sasuke and Sakura, apparently in deep discussion, as they walked down the path towards us. Choji and I made sure we didn't attract their attention, but as we passed by and acknowledged them respectfully, I couldn't help but eavesdrop on the captain's conversation. They were discussing his condition in a rather sullen tone which wasn't good, but then I faintly heard a few lines about his actions and the captain saying something along the lines of "promotion if he ever wakes up."

"Shikamaru did you hear that?"

"Yeah I did…let's hope the idiot does wake up."

"Hey," Choji said as we stopped halfway down the path. "I want your honest opinion. Whaddaya think about those Sand guys?"

"I don't trust 'em. They gave us trouble in the beginning and now we've just graciously adopted three of them, including that troublesome blonde? It'd be wise to be skeptical."

"Good call man, though I'd be a little more subtle keeping an eye on them. The spat you had with the woman cost you some serious brownie points with them and the others."

"Whatever…maybe when she stops acting like she's the boss I'll soften up on her. The other two didn't seem as bad though, though the redhead was a little scary lookin'."

"You're tellin' me. That Gaara kid has this look to him, almost like there's no emotion there, just a shell."

"Let's not get metaphysical Choji. It's beyond your level of normal thought."

"Hey!"

"I'm just sayin' I'd rather not discuss it right now. Someone could hear."

We opened the flap of the tent and were caught with a strong sterile scent…something the battlefield doesn't give in large amounts. We spotted our friend in the back left corner, just laying there with nothing bothering him. Interestingly enough, despite her own injuries, we saw Hinata resting her head on his stomach, her face concealed by her long, dark-blue hair.

"How long has she been there doc?" I asked the medic on call.

"She's been there since the two of them have been brought in. She suffered a few cuts and bruises so we patched her up but good, but her friend there is a little worse for wear. Had a little gash on the side of his head we closed up and some bruises all over his body. He's lucky he got rescued when he did, otherwise he'd be pushin' up daisies."

I gulped. "Yeah…lucky him huh?"

"Feel free to talk to him…that is if ya think he can hear ya." The medic chuckled, much to our offense. I don't think he knew how close of a friend Naruto was to us.

Hinata was sleeping soundly, the mental anguish of seeing Naruto like this and the vigil she had watching him must've exhausted her already.

"Hey…hey…" I whisper as I gently shake her. "Hinata are you with us?"

She moved around a little bit then gently opened her eyes. "Nnhhh…Sh-Shikamaru? Is that you?" She was still half-asleep. The stress must've gotten to her.

"Yeah…it's me an' Choji. We were stoppin' to say hi. We have some extra food in case you didn't eat"

"Oh…that's very nice of you. Thank you." She said as she grabbed a biscuit from my hand and nibbled on it.

"We heard you've been here the whole time Hinata." Choji said.

"Oh…yes, yes I have. I wanted to see him when he wakes up." I could tell she's been suffering just watching him lay there, the marks of dried up tear streaks and a worn look in her eyes providing all the evidence we needed. We dared not tell her what Ino and some of the others thought.

Choji put his hand on her shoulder. "You did a really courageous thing back there at the church. Hell, the strength you had to lug this dimwit rivaled mine! I'm almost jealous." She let out a weak chuckle. Choji and I paused for a second as she turned to look at his face.

"Hinata…" Choji said as he paused to think of what to say next.

I sighed and then asked her, "You must really care for him don't you? Is that why you ran off like that?" to which I got a blank response. She breathed a deep sigh and grasped his hand with hers.

"All my life I was always treated as someone of little value. I grew up timid and always unsure of myself. My father and Neji never gave me any encouragement since I wasn't the strong woman my mother was. I always wondered to myself why I keep going on, enduring the abuse and always slinking away, never standing up for myself. All I ever wanted was to become strong and self-confident, but to no avail. It wasn't until I met him, when we were all kids, that I had a beacon of hope. Naruto had a rough life like some of us. He never had parents to tell him they loved him nor encouragement from friends. I saw him get kicked and spat on, all because he was an orphan. Few took the time to actually understand him like you and Choji. Everyone else just wrote him off as a miscreant and loser, like they did me."

I noticed her voice getting shakier and her eyes ready to tear, but she wasn't stuttering. I knew Hinata since we were teenagers and I've never heard her not stammer in her words. She must be one hundred percent serious.

"You ask me why I would do what I did before. I did it because I know he'd do the same for any of us. I know he pines for Sakura but I'll forgive him. I always will. Naruto…is what I've always wanted to be, unyielding confidence in the face of rejection. Someone tells him that he can't do something and he'll do whatever it takes to prove that person wrong. Even when were in basic training, when no one else offered me encouragement, he would step in and try to help. Sure the advice wasn't the best, but he helped me when few others would. He wouldn't let me quit for any reason. When we were mortared and I couldn't move, he gave me strength when even Shino couldn't. When I saw him lying there after the explosion, I couldn't stand to watch him die. I always wanted to be a protector, to save lives as instill purpose in myself doing so. With Naruto I found a reason to pursue that sense of purpose, to protect his life with my own."

"You love him don't you Hinata?" I asked calmly.

"Yes…yes I do, with every fiber in my body I do. I want to provide him the love he never had. I always wanted to tell him but I never could muster the courage to do it, and I fear I never will." She explained as she wiped away newly emergent tears from her eyes.

"So why don't you tell him now?" suggested Choji.

With that Hinata nodded and leaned to Naruto's ear where she whispered, stumbling at first but being able to hold back her fear. We couldn't make out much of what she said but we knew the overall message. Afterwards she then gave him a nervous kiss on his forehead and stood up, relatively choked up after pouring her feelings for the unconscious Naruto. She approached us, struggling to look up and keep a straight face.

"Shikamaru, Choji…thank you for being good friends."

A slight smile came on my face, "Anytime Hinata…"

She then walked out of the tent, leaving us with Naruto. We looked at each other and then at Naruto.

"You think he heard any of that Shikamaru?"

"I don't know Choji…I certainly hope so…" It was the only answer I could provide. Naruto was a damn fool. He spent his time desperately trying to get recognition from Sakura and others, when there was a girl who loved him all along, who sought betterment all because of him, him of all people. I could kinda understand Hinata's motivation through him, but he dedication despite his obliviousness baffled me. How troublesome such matters are…

Choji and I walked out as the sun was almost completely set, its rays still permeating on us. Hinata was nowhere to be seen and neither was Sarutobi. We turned to face the tent again.

"I wouldn't worry too much Choji, I'm sure our knucklehead will pull through."

"Likewise."

"Hey Nara!" Isshiki yelled from down the path. "Sergeant Sarutobi wants you both back on the double."

"Wonder what for…"

"Who knows?"

We jogged back to our platoon's sector, where Sarutobi was standing in front of the rest of 4th Squad.

"Ah excellent! Glad you boys could join us. I hope your friend is doing better."

"Yeah sure sergeant, no problem with him."

"Good…I was just explaining the situation and where we're heading now. I also mentioned where our newly acquired Sand buddies were going."

"Huh? Where to sergeant?" I asked with childlike curiosity. The farther away from them I was the better.

"Well it's like this. The redhead Gaara was placed under the watch of 2nd Squad. Their anti-armor soldier Kankuro went with 4th Squad, and as for their sniper, well I knew the trouble you already had with her so I put in a request for her assignment."

"You did? Oh jeez thanks a million sergeant! That was one pain I did not wanna deal with!" I was overjoyed knowing ol' Sarutobi would pull through and have 1st deal with her.

"Hold on a second cowboy…" He said as he walked off for a brief second.

"Wait wha?" I muttered as he left me halfway through my question.

"I love to see how you act when you got a challenge in front of you, so I made a request to Capt. Hatake. 4th, meet our newest squad member, who will be under the personal care of Private Nara, Temari."

"WHAT?!?" I yelled, grabbing her attention as she turned to see me, shocked by Sarutobi's announcement.

"YOU AGAIN!!!" She yelled back, pointing sharply at me.

"Oh shit…" Choji whispered to Ino. "Here comes trouble."


	7. Chapter 7

Of all the rotten things that could happen, of all the mean tricks that Sarutobi could play, of all the people involved in this war, I had to be stuck with _this_ broad, Temari. Fan-fucking-tastic! I thought my mother simultaneously whipping my dad and I was rough. I thought having to deal with Ino's annoyance since we were little kids was rough. Now, going for the hat trick, the trifecta, the Triple Crown, the 1-2-3 KO, my benevolent squad leader has now tasked me with escorting, or rather babysitting, the up and coming nominee for Violent, Troublesome Woman Award.

"Oh no. No no no no no no no! Please tell me this is some sort of sick joke sergeant. Please tell me you're just yankin' my chain..." I pleaded with him.

"Yes Sergeant Sarutobi, please tell me that this is some form of practical joke you Leaf soldiers like to do. If it's not I'm not laughing."

Sarutobi just had this blank, apathetic look on his face as he just looked at the other squad members and lit up a cigarette, as if he was the medium between Temari and me arguing. From the corner of my eye I could see Choji, Ino, and the rest smiling and chuckling like idiots.

"We don't need another sniper! I'm already more than enough."

"What's that? You're afraid I might show you up? Ha...you're not worth my time." She cackled.

"Your time? _Your time_?!? Listen toots, if anything you're not worth my time, nor this squad's."

"Excuse me? What did you just call me you crybaby son of a bitch?"

"Oh boy here it comes..." Ino moaned.

"You heard me. God it's only been a day and you're already being the troublesome broad I imagined you'd be!"

"Nara..." Sarutobi sternly muttered.

"And now..." Ino chimed in, "the staredown." Choji finished.

I saw the anger begin to boil in her. If there was one thing I was good at, it was pushing a woman's buttons. Oh the look on her face was murderous and all I could do was grit my teeth and stare right back. It was as if two titans met on a mental battleground, where the seas roared and the ground shook, as if Armageddon was about to happen. If it wasn't for Sarutobi in between us, I swear she'd be swinging at me and from the looks of it she'd be one tough customer. I like women like that; with some meat on their bones and some looks to back it up...too bad her bossiness negated those other aspects. The last thing I wanna do is lose to a girl, so despite this ordeal being troublesome, I wasn't ready to back down. To my satisfaction, she went down first, trying to blow her loss off as if she was the bigger man.

"Pfffft…this is childish. I don't need to be wasting my time with a lazy crybaby like you. Come get me when you're ready to grow up." She said as she turned and stormed off towards her siblings. A mixed reaction came from the squad, some with nods of approval and some like Ino with a look of embarrassment. About a minute later, the brown-haired brother Kankuro came walking into our circle and right up to my face.

"Mind if I have a word with you kid?"

"Um, yeah sure."

"Walk with me kid. I need to have a chat with you."

We sauntered outside of the squad areas for a second, away from the hearing range of the rest of the guys.

"Nara right?"

"Yes."

"All right if those guys start lookin' at us I'm gonna look like I'm ready to tear you apart. All I ask is that you play along, you got it?"

"Um, ok…" I replied in bemusement.

"Ok good," he said as he got up real close and started jabbing his finger near my face, giving everyone the impression that he's berating me. Now I understood what he meant before. "I must say, I've never seen Temari that pissed over someone. Keep up the good work Nara."

"Wait what? You're serious?"

"Shit, you have no idea how much I relish getting her all riled up. I gotta say kid, you two only met for a few hours and already she's on the warpath. I wouldn't mind seeing her get knocked down a peg or two" He explained, trying to hold back a smile for the sake of his deceiving the others. He sighed, "Then again, she is my sister and I do care for her. Gaara and I both know she's bossy and a little more crude than most ladies. Give her time Nara. She'll prove to be more than capable as a fighter. I'll warn ya, things'll be rough for the first few days, especially if you're the one partnered with her, but she'll come around. She's like most women, a major pain in the ass until you get to know 'em and vice versa. Ya get where I'm drivin' at?"

"Yes I most certainly do."

"Ok good. You're an interesting guy Shikamaru, I like you. Keep an eye on my sister and make sure she doesn't get hurt. Gaara and I won't be around all the time to watch her so we trust you to keep her safe."

"_Great. Nothing like more pressure from more people other than Sarutobi to baby-sit, I mean 'safeguard' this bossy broad."_ I thought to myself. I must say I was rather surprised by Kankuro's calm demeanor despite her sister's furious diatribe on me.

"Kankuro! Are you done?" The small one, Gaara, yelled from across the way. Temari was standing right next to him, a smug smile emerging from ear to ear.

"Glad we had this discussion." He said before putting on the show and grabbing me by the collar. "Don't ever let me see you berating my sister like that again or I swear to God you'll wind up back in the Leaf Village in pieces you got that?!?" He yelled while winking at the same time. Playing my role, I widened my eyes and gave him a shaky nod of agreement. He let me go and rejoined his kin. As they walked away Temari looked back and stuck her tongue out mockingly, as if getting her brother to "threaten" me was a decisive victory.

"Jeez, what a drag that broad is." I muttered. Still, I had a funny feeling inside when it came to her...something I couldn't quite pinpoint. I mean with Ino and my mother, there was always that normal feeling of irritation from their nagging or bossiness. No, this woman was different.

"Well Nara, things just keep on getting interesting for you huh?" Sarutobi asked as I walked back to the squad tents.

"Sergeant, I don't know what I do to have God curse me so."

"Yeah me neither." He said as I caught him rolling his eyes.

"So sergeant, what's on tap for tomorrow and the day after? Some well deserved rest and eats?" Choji asked.

"Yeah sergeant, I could use some sleep and Choji could...well I think everyone knows what he needs." Toyama joked.

"Well shit kids, you must be psychic. Sergeant Yamato doesn't have anything on tap for us tomorrow, so I think we're in the clear. After that tussle with the Soundies, an extra twelve hours of catching Zs would be ideal and I haven't heard a thing from the first sergeant and the captain. I'll check one more time with the other squad leaders. Gimme a minute."

He walked off to converse with sergeants Mitarashi and Morino. After some raucous laughs from Mitarashi and Sarutobi, and some verbal jabs traded, which I assumed was how sergeants communicated with each other, he walked back with a shit-eating grin on his face. Awesome...

"Good news guys, we've got R&R! Kick back, relax, clean your kit and your weapons while the sun's still out, and don't bother me unless you need a smoke, you have a smoke for me to take, or someone loses a limb. You got that 3rd?"

"Yes sergeant!" We cheered.

"Hot damn! All right 3rd, you've earned your rest now I suggest you use it. Dismissed!"

With that we scampered off, but before I could flee, I heard a call.

"Oh Nara, one more thing...go get your new girlfriend Temari and get some alone time. Methinks you need it. HA!"

"Not funny sergeant..."

The moon illuminated the campground as a gentle breeze swept through, cooling the sweat off my back and brow. It had been a few hours since Sarutobi released us and things were just like when we were still in the Konoha barracks. Card games, smoking circles, girl talk, and all the things that made it feel a little more like home. Of course we'd still lament about home and all its little landmarks. We'd reflect on hanging out at the Ichiraku Ramen Bar or the local sake houses. I remember Choji and Naruto always squaring off on binging or eating like wild animals, usually ending in disaster while Ino, Kiba, and I would look on in disgust, and Kiba is the closest thing to an animal I can think of. Poor Naruto, I still heard no word about his condition and whether he recovered or not. I was beginning to worry things would go south soon if he didn't wake up. I hope for his sake, my sake, and Hinata's sake he's ok.

I dared not reflect on it too much, lest I slump into an even more cynical, depressive mindset than my normal cynical mindset. Instead my mind decided to be a dick and warp right to thinking about my spats with Temari. I didn't know whether to man up, apologize, and make myself look like the jerk for the sake of chivalry or stick to my guns and possibly further exacerbate things. Stupid brain, giving me troublesome thoughts about troublesome things when I don't wanna think about it…this was gonna take a while. I sat down, reflecting on the pros and cons and how I was to deal with this inevitable fiasco. Damn it Sarutobi…that was a mean thing to do. After a few minutes I got up and without reason wandered around to find her. I figured fuck it, I'll wing it.

"Temari..." I squeaked out as I approached the Sand siblings near one of the campfires, talking amongst themselves. When I saw them they seemed rather aloof, then again I saw little effort from my fellow soldiers to socialize with them. Figure I'll have to be the Leaf rep for all of them, which translates into unnecessary pain in the ass.

She turned slowly, a scowl still on her face. "The hell do you want?"

"Um, Temari uh, can we...talk...for a second? I kinda...need to tell you something."

"You're serious? You give me shit since we first meet and now you expect a one on one?" She blasted. "HA! Pathetic!"

"Look Temari, your degradation is not making this any easier, but as your assigned guide, I think we need to have a little chat right?"

"Wrong! I don't need help, especially from a crybaby like you."

All Gaara and Kankuro could do was watch as I did my best not to erupt.

"I'm asking you nicely and being diplomatic, now will you please come with me?"

"Apologize..."

"What?"

"You heard me Leaf boy apologize for being a jackass to me."

"You're kidding..."

"Nope. Say you're sorry for being a jackass."

"But you insulted us first!"

"I'm waiting..."

It took me a few seconds to register the absolute arrogance this girl had. On one hand it intrigued me but on the other it downright annoyed me. Knowing the impasse that was laid before me, I swallowed my pride.

"Ugh...Temari...I'm sorry."

"Say the whole thing and louder too. I couldn't quite make that out." She replied, playfully mocking me.

"Temari, I, Shikamaru Nara, am sorry that I was a jackass to you. I was way outta line and I'm sorry." I wanted to hang myself as Kankuro snickered and then Gaara joined in.

"That's better," she said with a confident but almost flirtatious tone, belittling me every second she could. "Now Shikamaru, what do you need to talk to me about?"

"This way..."

In the same fashion Kankuro used to talk to me I did with Temari. We walked out of the range of her brothers and stopped underneath a large tree.

"Ok, now that we're alone, I can actually and truthfully say that I'm sorry for before."

"You mean the public apology wasn't real?"

"I don't shell out my pride in public...get used to it."

"No fair Leaf boy...no fair. But I can see you're being honest so I won't completely blow you off and/or pound your head in."

"Anyway, I wanted to talk to you, being your guide and all, and lay down some guidelines and get some things straight."

"I'm listening..."

"First, sergeant Sarutobi is the boss. What he says goes, unless it's something totally stupid which 99.9 of the time it is not, so don't go off doing your own thing. Second, no more trash talk about my comrades. You're with the Leaf Army now so you might as well get used to their company instead of earn their scorn. Third, since I see the fact that you're a fellow sniper, you're probably the smart one of your siblings and I respect that."

"I'm flattered."

"You're welcome. Anyway, we have to agree to stop bickering in front of the other soldiers and your brothers. If we're to succeed, and as much as I hate sounding like a coach, we have to cooperate, not compete. I think a troublesome woman like you could find that manageable right?"

"Only if a lazy troublesome crybaby man like you can do the same."

"I can do that. So I take it we're in agreement huh?"

"All right, I can shake to that."

With that, I extended my hand out to her. She looked at it, paused for a second, and then slowly grasped my hand.

"Partners, Temari of the Sand?"

"Partners, Shikamaru of the Leaf."

And with a firm shake and a firm look in the eyes, we agreed to be partners no matter how much it might have troubled us. Hell if she cut down the bossiness and sass, I might just let her in my inner circle with Choji, Ino, and Naruto...that is if she could handle them without pondering homicide.

"Excellent. Well then, I bid you a good night and a good rest. I'll try and get the other guys to talk to you and your brothers, show you guys around."

She nodded slightly. "We'd appreciate that Shikamaru. Good night." Temari turned as walked back to the campfire where her brothers were sitting idly. I set off afterwards and turned my head to see her approaching her brothers. She stopped and looked back at me for a second, then kept walking.

Making my way back to the squad, I was stopped halfway by Choji and Ino who came from nowhere.

"Well hellooooo Shikamaru! What were you doing huh?" said Choji.

"Yeah Shikamaru, tell me all the details. Was she a good kisser? Were you rough on her or did ya go for the slow, subtle approach?" Ino puckered her lips, pretending to kiss me.

"Ino…" I sighed. "You are either high right now or out of your god damn mind."

"Whoa whoa Shikamaru! Don't be so testy! I hope your new girlfriend doesn't see this side of you, oh wait…she already has! I'm surprised you were able to save face after your jackassery!" Ino giggled some more like a schoolgirl. I swear if our parents weren't all friends with each other…

"Hey Ino, I hope your boyfriend Sasuke doesn't see this annoying side of you, oh wait…that's right he's not your boyfriend so shaddup!" That stopped Ino dead in her tracks. "What's the matter Ino? You can dish it out but can't take it?"

"Ouch…low blow Shikamaru." Choji said, trying to stifle his laughing.

"That wasn't funny!"

"Well neither was that girlfriend crack. She's not my girlfriend, just someone I have to take care of so Sarutobi doesn't bury me six feet under. He obviously trusts me with this instead of you, since you'd rather be a brat."

"Better to be a brat than a lazy good-for-nothing whiner like you."

"Shikamaru, Ino…" Choji weakly muttered, changing his laughter to concern, trying to stop a fight already started.

"You know, it boggles my mind why we're friends Shikamaru. You're such a dick."

"And you're annoying and troublesome. Nice to meet you."

"Screw this, I'm leaving! Choji, let me know when the dickhead is off his throne!" She yelled as she stormed off.

As Choji turned to me and opened his mouth, I stopped him. "Don't Choji…not one word." I said as I folded my arms and proceeded to walk back to our resting grounds, Choji following.

"Are you ok? Seriously…since today's battle you've been more than antagonistic."

I took a deep breath and sighed heavily. "No Choji…I'm not ok. I haven't been ok for a while. Today was just a catalyst of frustration. First we lose more good men, then I nearly die, then Naruto is damn near comatose, and now I nearly cost our squad Temari had it not been for her being more rational and diplomatic than I thought. Too much in one day I tell ya…too much."

"Yeah I know how you feel. I'm worried about Naruto as well. But hey, knowing that stubborn pipsqueak, he'll pull through and we'll be the first he'll see."

"Good point…but don't ya think we should have Hinata be the first he sees?" I suggested, knowing full well how much it would mean to her seeing him wake up. I just hope he knows she rescued him.

"Ah…excellent idea. Too bad we won't know when and if he'll wake up."

"Yeah…"

"Well I'm gettin' tired. All that extra food made got me all bloated and tired so I'm gonna rack out. Have a good night Shikamaru. Try not to think too much about what's going on or you'll have a stroke. Ino will get over it as girls always do."

"_What makes ya think I'm thinking about Ino?_" I thought. "Don't worry. I'll be fine. You get some rest there big guy."

"Good night man."

"Good night."

He walked off into one of the tents and that was the last I saw of him tonight. Finding my kit, instead of heading into one of the tents I decided to roll my mat and my blanket and sleep under the stars. The faint rumbles of ordnance reminded me more of distant thunderstorms, as the chirping of crickets were lulling me into a calm state of mind, something very rare these days with me. I lay on my back and stared at the stars and the slowly passing clouds.

As I looked up and pondered about where my life was going right now, I couldn't help but think about our new friends. Despite the rough patch I hit with them, except for Kankuro of course, I slight smile emerged from my face. I had a feeling they'd play a big role in things to come, especially that woman. Turns out she's not the demoness I thought she'd be. Still, a woman that bossy and sassy would take a lot of effort to deal with.

"Guess we're partners now huh Temari?" I whispered to myself as I slowly closed my eyes, letting sweet sleep be my solace once more.

"_Temari...hn._"


	8. Chapter 8

I couldn't recall when I had such peaceful sleep, not since I was little I bet. The sun poked its rays through the trees, shining almost heavenly on our camp. Despite everything I was concerned about, I somehow managed to knock myself out for a good nine, ten hours. Man was it refreshing though. The camp was bustling with all sorts of business. People were cleaning weapons, fixing up chow, washing and hanging clothes, playing board games or dice. Shino and Sai were having a rare and most likely deeply intellectual discussion about something I probably didn't have the time for. Sasuke and Sakura were resting underneath a tree together, sorting out Sakura's tools...fun times. Choji was chomping away on some more chow. Even sleep makes that boy hungry...it's inhuman. Neji was leading some people in some exercise, which surprisingly drew a large crowd. I figured on a day of rest that'd be the last thing people want...whatever. I didn't see Naruto though, which only meant he still hasn't recovered yet. This was starting to concern me. I thought when he was mumbling something to Hinata back during the battle that he was still ok, but the fact that he hasn't been awake for more than a day was troublesome to say the least. Jeez, if it was troubling for me, it must've been mental anguish for Hinata.

Outside of Choji I didn't catch anyone else from the squad, Ino, Toyama, not even Sarutobi. Oh well, better for me to wander around and not get stuck on some shitty detail. I rolled up my kit and left it next to the squad pile, then took it upon myself to meander around the camp.

"Have a good sleep there crybaby?" A voice came from behind.

"As a matter of fact...I did, like a baby. Hell without all the troublesome broads around, I could sleep like that even under mortar fire." I replied, turning around to face the blonde woman. "Et tu Temari?"

"You need not worry about me. I didn't have any 'troublesome' boys to hinder my rest."

"Well then we're in agreement...I'm glad."

"Indeed. Anyway, what's on tap for today Shikamaru?"

"Well, I reckon I'd show your brothers to their squads, get 'em acquainted with the boys. Afterwards I have no clue but it won't involve any serious work I can tell ya that much. Whaddaya say?"

"Lazy..."

"Bossy..."

"Ok let's not get into that again...it's too troublesome."

"Everything's troublesome for ya huh Shikamaru?" She asked with a smug grin on her face.

"Whatever...moving on. Let's go get your brothers."

As we walked to where Temari said she last saw them, I couldn't help but notice a couple looks from the platoon. They were no doubt saying something borderline retarded about us. A quick glare or two back at the snickering kids shut them up, even if it was only for a minute.

"Idiots..." Temari muttered under her breath.

"A rarity indeed but nonetheless we're both in agreement. Oh good, there they are."

"Good. Hey Gaara, Kankuro, let's go. Shikamaru here is gonna get you guys with your squads."

"Sounds good to me. I was tired of sittin' on my ass doing nothing eh Gaara?"

The redhead said nothing, just looking at Temari and Kankuro. I didn't get that kid. Last night he seemed normal but it seems he went back to his creepy mode again like when we first met. Finally he softly muttered, "Fine. Let's go." He then slung his assault rifle and got up.

"Something get to him today Temari?" I asked.

"I'll explain later."

We made our way to where 2nd squad was sitting around. Kiba was playing a dice game with three of the others in the squad. A couple cheers erupted after he rolled, meaning something just went well. Too bad I have no idea how to play.

"Hey Kiba." I said.

"Oh hey Shikamaru! What's up? How's the pinhead?" He asked referring to Naruto.

"No word yet..."

"Huh, well that sucks. So what can I do ya for? Come to introduce me to the dame? I hope the first look isn't too much for her."

"Say what?" Temari asked.

"Never mind him Temari...Kiba is one of the less sophisticated members of the platoon."

"Hey!"

"At ease Kiba...anyway I'm here to pass along your Sand partner. Kiba, this is Gaara."

"Um ok then...hey how ya doin' Gaara? Welcome to 2nd squad!" He reached out for a handshake, only to get a cold look from Gaara. "Ok then..." Kiba weakly said as he retracted his hand, doubtless reacting from the cold shoulder Temari's brother gave him.

"Gaara..." Temari said.

"Hello." He said firmly.

"Ya know, I think Shino would be better for him don't ya think Shikamaru?" Kiba asked as he approached me.

"Perhaps...just show him around and give him the ground rules as I drop off the other guy to 4th. Hopefully Shino will be done waxing eloquent with Sai and the engineers so he can take the reins."

"Hopefully..."

"Oh hey by the way, where's Hinata?"

"No idea. I haven't seen her since this morn'. She's probably with Ino."

"Maybe. Ok well have fun. Why don't ya show Gaara how to play dice."

"What and cramp my style? Then again a pro like me always needs a protégé." Kiba was an expert gambler and could embarrass Naruto, Choji, Shino, and I in poker and dice. I once heard a rumor he played against the officers and destroyed them, but that's dubious at best.

"Good then, I'll see you later Kiba."

"Take it easy. Oh hey! If you see Hinata, tell her to see Shino and me."

"You got it." And with that Temari, Kankuro, and I took off. I certainly hope Kiba could somehow thaw that icebox called Gaara. I seemed to be slightly better but I wanted a better explanation.

"Hey guys," I said to the two Sand siblings as we found a large log isolated from the throng of soldiers and sat down for a few minutes. "Pardon me if this is personal, but is everything ok with your brother Gaara? Also, what made you guys become resistance fighters anyway?" I asked them this because I wanted some clarity in their situation before I handed Kankuro off.

"Well it's not the most heartwarming story..."

"Kankuro..." Temari said sternly.

"Seriously though, the past couple of years have been rough for us, ever since this stupid conflict started. Well you already know the Sand Village signed a pact with the Soundies right?"

"Yeah who doesn't know?"

"Well...what most people didn't know, and not even us initially, was though we had an alliance with the Soundies, they had other intentions. In the beginning we offered men and materiel to them, seeing the advantage of allying with a powerful nation like the Land of Sound. We sat on our hands as they took over place after place while sending troops to the Sand Village as a protection force in case you guys or any other land attacked us. We welcomed it and relished in the goods they provided as they conquered. However, under our noses they were slowly occupying us. Yes we're a large nation but we're very spread out with little in between. The Soundies knew this and began creeping into our government, our municipalities, and even our own military. They soon 'enlisted' our own into their ranks."

"Yeah 'enlisted'...sure..." Temari added. "They took men and boys from their homes, abducted orphans and the poor, forced them into their ranks. Meanwhile our government sat idly by. They abused our rights and kept taking our money and food to fuel their war machine. Soon it was like they had conquered us from the inside, while claiming it was for the greater good of our precious alliance."

"By the time we had realized what was going on, it was too late to really do much. They had blocked off the main routes of travel and seized most of our arms. All in the period of a year since they arrived had they done these things and it only got worse when our father tried to fight back."

"Your father?" I asked.

Temari jumped in. "Yes. Our father, the former Kazekage, who led our people before the new Kazekage came in as the Soundies marched to war. He was in charge before the Soundies came and originally opposed letting the Soundies in, but his opposition was silenced by the majority of the government, most of who were probably on Orochimaru's payroll. He had not done more to protest for the safety of our mother and us, especially Gaara, who looked up to him dearly. It wasn't until we heard of the death of our uncle, Yashamaru that he snapped. Our uncle was an honorable military officer who saw it as his duty to serve our father and the Sand Nation. Our nation looked up to him. A year ago he was sent, we suspect unwillingly, on a mission to assault the Land of Snow. We protested but he assured us that he would come back. He never did..."

"I'm sorry."

"That wasn't the whole truth though..." Kankuro said, building up a silent rage. "When we heard of his death we were devastated. It hurt Gaara the most since our uncle was another idol to him as a child. As it turned out, a survivor from the attack and one of our own managed to get to our father without the Soundies knowing. He and hundreds others were sent to help the Soundies explained that the Sound command used our own men and women as sacrificial lambs in a suicide mission. When our uncle called for help from the Sound, they did nothing, and our uncle and his troops were slaughtered. They let hundreds of young Sand men and women die for no reason and simply rolled over their corpses. They had said he died a hero but instead he was stabbed in the back!" I noticed a small tear running down Kankuro's face, but he quickly wiped it pretending that he was simply wiping sweat off his face.

"Our father had enough. He quickly quit his government post and gathered whatever supporters he could. Amassing arms and explosives, he regretfully adopted the violent approach to the Sound. Initially our resistance caught them by surprise and we were even given small parcels of aid from the Water nation, but they were too strong. When we pushed them out of the cities, the people cheered, but then they came back in spades. Our people fled to wherever they could. Women who were caught were raped and beaten while the men were tortured or executed on the spot."

"Jesus Christ..." I muttered.

"Our family was holed up in a small city near the border between us and the Earth nation. The resistance was being crushed and my father, after months of fighting and hiding, was depleted of his resolve. We lost our mother to an artillery barrage as she ran Gaara, Kankuro, and I to safety. She had tried to run back to save some stragglers, but was killed. The Soundies had found us and were encircling us by the minute. Our father told us we had to flee despite our refusal and gave us to his trusted lieutenant Baki. Under the cover of night we along with dozens of others managed to slip by the Sound soldiers. We were told not to look back at all but we couldn't...and I wish we hadn't. In horror we witnessed the house that our father was in become obliterated by their tanks. We were beside ourselves, especially Gaara. Our parents were dead along with the rest of our family. We're all that's left."

"I'm so sorry. I never knew they were capable of this kind of inhumanity. The bastards..."

"You asked before about Gaara? Well that night of our father's death, he cried for hours on end, but since then, he became a different person. With the death and misery the Soundies caused all that was left was a shell of the boy he was, almost completely drained of humanity. Temari and I were able to still keep our composure, but it really took its toll on Gaara. Now all that brings him some remote satisfaction is the death of every Sound soldier he can get his sights on. He kills with almost inhuman pleasure. It frightens even me and Temari. It's as if his peace won't come until the Soundies are all dead or he's dies."

"Thank God he still maintains some sanity because of us and Baki. Baki has kept us alive so far and we've made strides since the dispersal of the resistance thanks to his perseverance. It was by chance we observed your army's movement in the Cloud Village. We had managed to sneak our way in upon hearing rumors of a liberation force, and lucky enough that you guys showed up. Though I say it was strange for Baki to hand the three of us off to aid you guys, but he has his reasons. So that's our story...orphans with nowhere to go except the lion's den, hoping to slay the beast of the Sound and rebuild our home."

It was certainly more than I needed for an explanation, but I'm glad they told me. To be honest I never knew people could go through so much and still keep fighting on. The human spirit is an amazing thing sometimes, and hearing what happened to them made me respect them all the more, yes including Temari. I really hoped that Kiba, Shino, and Hinata were ok with Gaara after hearing about why he is the way he is. An awkward silence filled the air as we just sat there, trying to take in what just transpired, me learning the horrible background of our Sand allies and Temari and Kankuro having to retell their horrid past, something I know I'd do anything to forget. I made an attempt to break the silence.

"So...methinks we should be off then huh? Kankuro, you still have your squad to meet and Temari, well we've got more things to discuss with Sergeant Sarutobi."

"Yep..." replied Kankuro, "We should get up now."

The pace was a little slower and the mood a little more somber than before. Nevertheless we got to 4th squad's area, where Ayako and a couple others were just sitting trading jokes. Given the lack of women around I could deduce the nature of the jokes they were telling. After a couple of raucous laughs, Ayako noticed me with the others.

"Hey Nara! What's goin' on man? Me and the guys were just talking about Mitarashi...I mean talk about a sassy broad huh? I'd love to show her my hidden village eh guys eh?" He got a few more laughs out of the men.

I covered my face in embarrassment after seeing Temari redden a little bit. Kankuro just snickered a little bit. So far outside of the officers, Sarutobi, and I, the other Leaf guys have been spoiling the image I've been trying to save. Friggin' Kiba and Ayako, jerks.

"Cute guys. Anyway, I'm here to introduce you to your Sand liaison. Guys, this is Kankuro. He's an anti-armor specialist so you can rely on him if a halftrack comes rolling your way."

"Hell I see no problem with a little extra firepower. Welcome aboard Kankuro! I think you'll like it with us."

Kankuro reached out to shake Ayako's hand with a smile. "The pleasure's all mine. Now...how's about ya tell me some of those jokes and about this sergeant of yours. I'd like to hear all about it."

"You're in for a treat then. Hey guys, our Sand buddy wants to know about the sarge!" Kankuro was then greeted with some cheers, laughs, and a flood of moving yaps as they brought him to the little social circle, almost enveloping him. I had a feeling he'd get along well with them, that is unless Sergeant Mitarashi got word of what they were gabbing about.

"Well Temari, I guess we should leave the kids be huh?"

"Yeah let's. I'm getting sick already with these boys."

"Sure. One more thing Ayako."

"Yeah what's up?"

"Anything on Naruto?"

"Nah haven't heard a word. Last time I checked he's still out like a light in the medic tents. That shy girl from 2nd has been around there non-stop...I dunno what her deal is."

"Ok. Thanks then...I'll check on him later."

Temari and I walked back to our squad's spot. I had no idea what to do today so maybe some good old-fashioned twiddling of the thumbs would kill some time.

"I think Kankuro will like being with those clowns from 4th."

"Yeah if you say so Shikamaru," Temari chuckled. "Kanky's always been the rowdy one of us, the prankster and instigator, so I pray that this sergeant you speak of in 4th doesn't catch wind of his antics otherwise it's nothing but bad news."

I laughed. "Yeah Mitarashi is definitely not a girly girl. I know she can kick my ass right quick but thank God I've got Sarutobi."

"Oh by the way, who's the shy girl that guy spoke of? Was that the same one who was carrying the blonde kid back in the Cloud Village battle?"

"Oh her, she's in the squad with Gaara. Private Hinata Hyuga's her name and yeah that was the same woman you saw before. She is pretty shy, so what you saw before was something even I didn't see before, what with that strength and bravery yesterday..."

"Well I gotta say I've rarely seen things like that under such heavy fire."

"Well funny thing is...you know that blonde guy she rescued?"

"Yeah."

"Well that's my friend Private Naruto Uzumaki."

"Ha. Brave son of a bitch he was charging a StuG like that, but foolish nonetheless."

"I totally agree, but about Hinata, she's normally meek and hesitant, but seeing Naruto like that possessed her with something even I didn't have to save him."

"She's in love with that Naruto friend of yours huh?" She hit the nail on the head without me having to go into any further detail.

"Yep. She's been watching him ever since. Hell they evacuated the both of them still together. I figured it was a little reward for her courageous action, but now she's gotta endure him in that almost comatose state, being at his side almost the whole day and praying he wakes up."

"That's terrible...I wish I'd never have to fret like that over anything."

"You're telling me. The worst part is Naruto might not even know that is was she who helped save him, and he's always after Private First Class Sakura Haruno, the pink-haired girl."

"Heh...well I'd call him an idiot if he's so oblivious to someone like this Hyuga girl."

"Temari, you're preaching to the choir. It's so troublesome dealing with him and that little 'quasi-love triangle' if that's what it even is which it probably isn't."

"Hmmmm...ya seem to have a bead on everyone here don't you?"

"It's a gift of mine. So anyway, I say we take the day to relax before the next big thing. There's a nice spot just outside the perimeter away from the cretins. Whaddaya say to some personal chat time?"

"Sounds ok to me Shikamaru, just don't get any ideas."

"Never crossed my mind. Too much effort with a gal like you anyway." I snickered.

It was already late in the afternoon when Temari and I just lounged by the trees. We chatted it up about all sorts of things: my roots, life back home, our weapons, sniper tricks of the trade, etc. The sun was already starting to set. I had to admit, it was rather relaxing getting to know her some more. I gave her credit for enduring the loss of her family and the burden of taking care of Kankuro and Gaara. I felt like she could be a good friend, but she still carried that aura of bossiness and special breed of female aggression only someone like my mother or Ino could have.

"Hey I'm gonna check up on my pal Naruto. You care to come with?"

"Sure why not? I'd like to see how the brave fool's doing."

The time was near 5:00 PM. The sky began to form a lovely orange hue as the sun began its descent down to the horizon. The medical area was surprisingly quiet but that's always a good thing. Seems most if not all of the walking wounded were stitched up and ready to go. I even saw Private Miyoshi leaving despite being shot in the shoulder yesterday. She looked much better. I lifted the cover of Naruto's tent to let Temari in, and then closed it as I entered.

"Looks like the shy girl's keeping vigil." Temari noted as I saw Hinata sleeping, her head rested on Naruto like I saw her last night.

"Hey...hey Hinata." I said nudging her.

"Uhhnnnn...huh?" She asked. She must've been asleep for a while since she couldn't even recognize me at first. "Oh...hi Shikamaru. Who-who's the friend?"

"Oh this is Temari of the Sand nation. She's part of the Sand resistance movement."

"Oh hi there. Sorry I, um, didn't uh see you before. I was, um just very exhausted." She apologized to Temari.

Temari laughed. "It's ok Hinata. You were out cold when I showed up. I admire what you did back in the Cloud Village. That took guts."

Hinata blushed. "Oh well, um, thank you."

"How's the numbskull doing?" I asked.

"S-Still not much improvement I'm sorry." Her stutter was returning, which wasn't good. "I, I though I s-saw him move a b-bit but I wasn't sure." Her face looked sullen and worn, but had a hidden beauty to it, something few saw but once they did they appreciated it.

I breathed a heavy sigh. "That sucks about him. Why don't you go get some coffee or water or something Hinata. You look parched."

"Ok...maybe I'll, I'll g-grab a fresh blanket um, for Naruto while I'm at it."

"Good. He'll appreciate it."

She slowly got up, stretched, and stumbled over to the cover. Wow she really must've been sleeping for a while. The mental stress must really be getting to her, but then again if I was her, infatuated with this pinhead Naruto, I'd be like that too.

"So buddy," I said to Naruto, "still don't feel like getting up huh?"

All I got was silence.

"Ok I hope you can hear this...I really fucking hope you can. Who the fuck do you think you are doing this to all of us? Do you have any idea how much stress you put on me, Choji, your squad, and especially Hinata?"

Silence again.

"I know why you ran out like that. You wanted to be the hero and impress Sakura again didn't you? You really are an idiot Naruto Uzumaki. You have no idea how lucky you are. You have no idea how blessed you are that there is someone you barely acknowledge who thinks the world of you. You shoulda seen her carry your dumbass from being that carnage. She had the strength of Choji and the bravery of the captain and you'll never know will you? That girl Hinata loves you more than she does herself and her family and you waste your time on someone else. Choji and I tried pointing that out to you so many times, but you wouldn't listen. Now you're comatose and breaking Hinata's heart." I yelled to Naruto, taking a step closer towards his face.

"Shikamaru he's your friend!" Temari protested.

"Yeah Temari he is my friend and this is what friends do...at least me and my friends! This idiot risks life and limb for someone who doesn't love him back and for years that girl Hinata has carried herself to new heights for him, and all the while he's totally oblivious!" I turned to Naruto, "Yeah Naruto, I hope you wake up and I hope you find out the truth. I hope you remember what Hinata said to you last night. Maybe that concussion knocked some sense into your thick skull." I then turned back to Temari. "As his friend I have to tell him what he's doing and what the truth is, even if he might not hear it now, but I certainly pray to God he can."

Temari had no idea what to say. She thought of me as a lazy crybaby, and though I can be one, this time I broke out of that mold. "Shikamaru..." she muttered.

"I'm sorry." I said as I took in a deep breath. "I'm just angry over this. Maybe I need some fresh air as well."

We both stepped outside to clear our lungs. A nice breeze swept through which made the mood a little lighter as I felt cooler thanks to the wind. We spent close to a half-hour just sitting there, taking the scenery in. My heart and head still pounded with frustration and anger though.

"Man now I know why Sarutobi smokes." I said. "I feel like I need one. Once again I apologize over my outburst. I just needed to vent and who better than someone who probably can't hear me and won't hit back." My comment got a slight chuckle out of Temari.

"Hey Shikamaru! Where have ya been?" Choji burst in from left field.

"Hey big guy. In answer to your question I've had to drop off her brothers to their squads...kinda like an orientation type thing."

"Ah I see...trying to score some alone time huh?" He winked.

An open palm emerged, slapping him upside the head. It was Ino who had walked in as well. "My apologies Temari...these boys don't know when to quit." Choji rubbed the back of his head in pain, and I laughed.

"I can relate. I have two brothers."

"I'm Ino Yamanaka, the squad medic, and I'm glad to see another sniper in the squad. We need someone to take Shikamaru here down a notch."

"Hey!" I yelled.

"Ha it's ok. I could use some friendly competition anyway." Temari winked at me. "I was the best shot out of my family and my group of fighters. I'd like to see what the best shots the Leaf Army can offer."

"You'll find it in spades lady." Choji replied. "With Sure Shot Shikamaru here, you'll be lucky to pick off anything!"

"Oh Choji, you're making me blush." I joked.

"We'll see Shikamaru, we'll see." Temari said.

My jocular mood turned slightly serious. "Meh it's too bothersome to worry about that. I'm concerned with getting out in one piece. Kill count means nothing to me."

We went about talking for about another hour or so, the sun going down even further but with a faint trace of light. From the corner of my eye I noticed Hinata coming back with some supplies, including Naruto's blanket. She was about sixty meters from the tent when suddenly I saw someone shove himself into her, knocking all her things down. It was Neji again. Our talking quickly stopped as we turned to see him and Hinata.

"What are you doing Hinata? Stop being so clumsy!" He barked.

"S-sorry Neji. I-I-I'll be more careful." She stuttered as she tried to pick up all her stuff. As she reached for the blanket, Neji kicked it a little farther.

"Oh I'm sorry, was this for that moron still knocked out? Honestly, I don't see what your deal is with that loser. I guess losers flock together like birds of a feather."

Hinata tried to move her lips but couldn't. I wanted to do something but didn't know what.

"Oh I forgot you're head over heels for that idiot. You know you really are pathetic. And what's the matter with you?" He yelled as he hoisted Hinata up and got in her face. "You ran off to save Naruto the clown and you nearly died. Wow you're stupid and pathetic. You shoulda died in the church. I ought to give Kiba and Shino a pounding for helping someone the likes of you."

"Don't...d-don't you say that about N-Naruto. He's n-not like that." She said, anger slowly building up.

"Oh you don't want me to say that?" He then shoved her. "You don't want me to insult Naruto? Why not huh? Why are you so steadfast to that kid? Tell me! Tell me!" He yelled getting in Hinata's face.

"BECAUSE I LOVE HIM!" She screamed so loud half the camp could hear, tears beginning to roll down her face. "Th-there are y-you happy now Neji?!? I love him with all my heart and I would die for him like I almost did back there, which is more than I can ever say about you!"

"What was that you little whore?" He flared with anger as he grabbed her collar.

"Stop it right now Neji!" I yelled. "You want trouble you're gonna find it!"

"Fuck you, you lazy piece of shit. This has nothing to do with you!" He replied.

"Neji, you're a horrible person!" Ino yelled.

"Shut up bimbo! Now I wanna hear what she said!" He yelled as he turned to Hinata.

"Y-you heard me...you've never treated nice and always put me down. Naruto did the opposite. He gave me hope and strength. Where you and the family failed he succeeded, and that's why I love him. Y-you N-Neji, you're a terrible human being, always condescending, you're the one that's hurting, not me. You're so mean...if you died no one would care, not even myself!"

That was the last straw for him as he slapped her and knocked her to the ground. "You little bitch! I'll kill you!"

"Choji!" I said.

"Let's do this..." He answered as we made our way to kick Neji's ass. "Come on you little shit...you wanna hit your own cousin...your own family?"

"Bring it on fat boy! I'll take you both down!" He sneered and he turned to face us. Soon a crowd was emerging around to watch the oncoming fight. As we charged towards him, suddenly an object flashed from the corner of my right eye and hit Neji square in the forehead.

"What the fuck? Who did that? WHO??" He screamed as he clasped his forehead in pain. From the looks of it a rock the size of a golf ball hit him.

"I DID!" A voice emerged from behind us. We stopped our charge and turned, our faced both aghast. Temari and Ino also turned and immediately frozen with surprise.

"No way..." I said.

"Holy shit..." Ino muttered.

It was Naruto, fucking Naruto Uzumaki. He was up all right, but looking like he just slept for six months. He rested against one of the tent poles, clutching another rock. "You wanna try hitting," he breathed heavily, "you wanna try hitting Hinata like that again?"

"You little snake!" Neji barked. "That really fucking hurt!"

"I, I hope it did Neji. Come on...you wanna fight someone your own size?" Naruto replied, walking slowly towards Neji while challenging him, something which Choji and I grimaced at.

"HA! Look at you! You look like you can barely swing a punch. You're pathetic!" He laughed as he turned to Hinata and kicked her down again, Hinata getting the wind knocked out of her.

Despite being bandaged up and woozy, seeing that must've blown a fuse in Naruto's brain, because at that moment, his eyes flared with hatred Choji and I have never seen. Suddenly he rushed past the both of us, his body obviously in great pain, as he blindsided Neji, bringing him to the ground. Naruto was immediately on top of him, slugging away at Neji. The blows were hard and one struck Neji in the eye.

"Don't you touch her! DON'T YOU EVER TOUCH HINATA LIKE THAT!!!" He screamed as he grabbed Neji by the neck and slammed his head on the dirt. Neji swung a right hook and knocked him off. We felt the urge to help, but somehow we knew that this was Naruto's fight, that this was for Hinata and only he could win it.

Neji landed a jab and then kicked Naruto's legs out from under him. Soon Neji was on top. "You fucker, I'll murder you!" Then he started wailing on Naruto, who was doing his best to dodge the blows. Neji had the advantage of being fully fit so Naruto had to act quickly to gain the upper hand again. "Given up yet twerp?" Neji asked while continuing to punch.

"NO!" He replied as he drove his fists into Neji's sides. A sharp cry of pain erupted from Neji who became even more furious, trying to choke Naruto. Hinata suddenly gathered her strength and attempted to shove Neji off Naruto.

"Get off of him!" She yelled as she was able to knock Neji off balance, giving Naruto the leg room to grab Neji's face and slam it down on the grass before he could strike Hinata. We could tell Naruto was already half-awake by his eyes, but the fight was still in him. He pinned Neji to the ground and held his arms as he lunged and head butted Neji. A gasp came from the crowd. Both were already bloodied and bruised, but Naruto wanted to return all the pain Neji had given to Hinata. Naruto was merciless, punching Neji everywhere from the sides to the gut to the throat, then choking him, not even caring if he killed him. Rage took over his emotions. "Don't ever...ever hurt Hinata again! Don't you touch her! I'll fucking kill you if you do!"

The crowd roared in excitement. Tenten tried to rush in and stop it but was stopped by Kiba. The animosity between Neji and Naruto/Hinata had already permeated into their friends. The two glared at each other while trading insults. It was looking like another fight was gonna erupt.

"OK THAT'S IT! THAT'S ENOUGH!" A loud roar came outside of the crowd. To our surprise it was Lee since we were expecting Sergeant Yamato. "What in the world is going on here?!?" He demanded as he strode through the crowd and tore Neji and Naruto off each other, Yamato following behind the LT. Neji was restrained by Sergeant Morino while Naruto was being held by Kiba and Hinata. Choji, Temari, and I rushed to Naruto's aid. "Can someone tell me?"

"Sir," Shino stepped forward. "It was a fight sir."

"Well no shit corporal. Can someone explain why this happened?"

"Well sir," Shino added.

"No corporal, you can't explain why, because there's no fucking excuse! Corporal Hyuga, Private Uzumaki, can you explain why you decided to make a mockery of our esprit de corps and fight like children?"

"He attacked me sir!" Neji complained.

"Sir..." Naruto gasped, desperate for a modicum of rest. "He was hurting Hinata. I won't let him hurt her."

"Naruto..." Hinata muttered.

"Corporal Hyuga is this true?" Lee asked.

All Neji could do is just look at Lee like a deer in headlights. He didn't know what to say. His abuse had caught up with him.

"I want to see you in one hour and if you're one second later I'll make sure it won't be the Soundies that'll be the death of you. Do you get me?"

"Yes sir."

"Private Uzumaki, I appreciate your chivalry but there is no excuse for fighting like that. And the rest of you, if something like this breaks out again you get the squad leaders. Standing here like a mob over a boxing ring is inexcusable for soldiers of the Leaf Army! You're all fucking lucky Captain Hatake isn't here right now! Get out of my sight now!" And with that last statement, everyone scrammed. He turned to Yamato and walked off, leaving Choji, Kiba, Temari, Ino, Hinata, Naruto, and I.

"Jesus Christ Naruto...you certainly know how to make a comeback appearance!" Kiba said.

He grinned. "Sorry to," he stopped as he coughed up a little blood, "sorry to keep you waiting like that. Got a little encouragement from Shikamaru."

I turned red for a second, almost embarrassed that my tirade on him was actually absorbed into his head.

"That was noble of you fighting that creep like that kid. Even I'm impressed." Temari added.

"Hinata..." He softly whispered.

"Y-yes, N-n-Naruto?" She replied.

"I...I...I heard what you said. I heard what you thought...every...single...word. I never knew...you thought...that way. I'm sorry."

"N-no it's ok Naruto. I'm sorry for making you do this."

"No, someone had to...teach that Neji bastard...a lesson. I was told you saved me from the Soundies...that you...that you carried me to safety, all because you love me. Hinata..." He said as he was getting choked up, the tears mixing with the drying blood on his face.

"Yes Naruto?" Hinata's lips began to quiver as joy but also fear forced tears from her eyes once more.

"I...I...love...I love...you...t..." He barely uttered before he faded out again.

"Naruto? Naruto!" Hinata said, shaking him, trying to get an answer out.

"Shit...he's out again!" Choji exclaimed.

"Get him back in the tent! He's almost completely drained of energy and damn it he's lost some blood too. We gotta get him back before he fades out even more." Ino yelled.

With that we all helped him however we could back into the tent. We laid him on the cot again and cleaned his cuts and Ino hooked an IV with blood. We could only hope he could hold on. As we tended to him, all we could do is wait for him to get up again. Pray he does...


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning wakeup came a little more abruptly than the last. Temari, Ino, and I had volunteered to stay with Hinata while Choji and Kiba went back. Naruto looked a little better, but I swear you add a few more bandages and he'd look like a mummy. He was moving but not fully conscious. That fight with Neji may have won our respect and Hinata's eternal love, but it sure cost him some pints of blood and internal damage. As for ourselves I wasn't too worried since a nice canteen cup of coffee that tasted like motor oil could always perk us right up.

I let out a big yawn as I stretched so far back you'd swear I was triple jointed. A loud crack emerging from my spine meant I was as stiff as a board but rarely did something that sounded so wrong feel so right. "Well, I certainly hope you all got some decent shut-eye. I know I didn't." I greeted everyone sarcastically.

"Always the glass half-full man Shikamaru." Ino retorted. "Then again when you're right you're right." We had taken turns watching over Naruto until he regained consciousness. Ino and the other medics on call had a better picture on Naruto's case. It would just take time to get him up.

"I wonder how the little guy's doing?" I asked Hinata. She said nothing. I looked closer to reveal she was dozing off, obviously still exhausted from last night's altercation.

"Let her rest," said Temari, "She looks like she could use some."

We waited another half-hour until Hinata came to.

"G-good morning e-everyone...is Naruto up yet?" She asked, still wiping her eyes and yawning.

"Nothing yet, but I'm sure..."

"I'm sure he'll be all right. That boy may be a few crayons short of a box, but he has spunk and gusto." Yamato interrupted as he stepped through with 2LT Lee and Sergeant Mitarashi. "I appreciate what you four have done for the boy I really have and so does the LT."

"Right. I would've punished Uzumaki for fighting but knowing his condition he already received enough. Meanwhile Corporal Hyuga is busy on loading detail for the whole day, by himself, as punishment."

"Ss-sir," muttered Hinata, "You didn't h-have to punish N-Neji. I sh-should've been, um, more uh careful, sir."

"Your loyalty to family, even to one like Neji, is admirable Hyuga, but rules are rules and he broke them. Our will of fire will not be put out by such juvenile acts that will also erode our camaraderie. He got what he deserved." We collectively sighed as Lee gave that will of fire crap tirade again.

"Sir," I said, "with all due respect, what brings you here?"

"Oh that is right, thank you Private Nara. I came here to announce some good news."

"Room attention!" Mitarashi yelled as we quickly snapped to attention, except for Temari who respectfully stood straight nonetheless. Lee pulled out a piece of paper and began to read.

"Attention to orders, in accordance with Konohakagure Armed Forces Regulation 640-1 and by the recommendations of our superiors, Privates Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuga," as he mentioned the names Hinata eyes lit up, "are awarded the advancement to the rank of Private First Class effective today, 13 July. Both Privates Uzumaki and Hyuga showed exceptional bravery and resolve during the Sound counterattack during the Cloud Village liberation. Private Uzumaki bravely charged the Sound enemy and destroyed an assault gun with only one explosive and killed several enemy infantry. Though Private Uzumaki was incapacitated, the resolve, strength, and loyalty displayed by Private Hyuga saved a courageous soldier's life, adding one to many that she has already saved. For these reasons these soldiers are promoted in rank as a symbol of Konoha's will of fire. Signed, Colonel Jiraiya and Captain Kakashi Hatake. Congratulations." He reached into one of his pouches and pulled out two chevrons, one for Naruto and one for Hinata. After placing one on Naruto's chest he gave the other to Hinata and shook her hand. A few tears fell from Hinata's face, but they were tears of joy. Temari, Mitarashi, Ino, Yamato, and I all applauded the two so loud everyone outside could hear.

Suddenly a rustling came from Naruto's bed. Weakly, he tried to open his eyes. "Hey..." he slurred softly, "can't a guy get some sleep around here? Gimme a few more hours...jeez." He slurred again as he rolled to his side. Obviously he had no idea who was in the room, but nevertheless it was a sight for sore eyes.

"Naruto!" Hinata burst out as she hugged him, causing a few grunts of pain to come out, but not enough to deter Hinata.

"Well well looks like the pipsqueak wasn't in total dire straits after all. He's just being a lazy bum now." Mitarashi jabbed at Yamato, who chuckled in reply.

"You're talkin' to the people that knew him almost all his life sergeant," Ino said. "He had us scared for a second but looks like he's gettin' back to normal."

"Good. I want him feeling fit and ready ASAP. We've got new recruits comin' in an' I need everyone at fighting strength before the next operation, and though I might feel strange sayin' it, I'll need him to teach the newbies a thing or two in 4th. We'll leave you to get Uzumaki back on his feet. Oh by the way, has anyone seen Private Ayako?"

"No sergeant I haven't." I replied.

"Ok. I heard the punk made a few remarks about me that I don't find too funny. When I get my hands on him he'll be in a coma worse than what Uzumaki had." A couple chuckles filled the air, but we were more afraid for Ayako considering how tough Mitarashi could be. I heard she even makes Sergeant Morino nervous, and he's a sadistic sum'bitch.

It was certainly a new thing seeing the higher-ups treating Naruto in such a fashion. Usually they'd find ways to get him off their backs or just plain harass him out of spite. 2LT Lee was nicer to him, mostly because Lee was a hard-charging zealot who valued action and bravery way over common sense. I guess hearing about Naruto, the platoon nuisance, doing something that extraordinary and still being alive and talking really struck a chord with our platoon leader. I certainly know it was him that put in the recommendations for Hinata and Naruto's promotion.

"Well then, I wish I could stay and talk to Naruto, but I am very sorry as there are other matters that I must attend to. Sergeant Yamato, Sergeant Mitarashi, I'll need you and the other squad leaders for a brief from the captain. Grab something to write with and meet me by the communications tent in thirty minutes. The rest of you, get Naruto back on his feet as soon as he can fully function. We can't leave the hero of the battle lying on a cot all day am I right?"

"Y-yes sir, we're on it sir." Hinata answered.

As he left we snapped to attention one more time until he and his little retinue were gone. Turning to Naruto, who was still half-asleep, I couldn't help but be amazed how after all the crap we endured with him, he and Hinata get promoted. I mean Hinata certainly deserved it, but it made me laugh on the inside how even our dimwitted Naruto finally earned a promotion and the platoon's respect.

"Good morning short stuff." I said as Naruto was finally fully awake, but still sore from last night's "festivities."

"NNNhhhh hey what's the big idea waking me up like that? Can't a banged up soldier get some rest once in a while?" He complained.

"Still thinking about the basic, selfish necessities. Looks like our Naruto is back."

"Hey…Shikamaru, who's the lady? Oh Shikamaru you dog you, you lady killer, I didn't know you had a girlfriend."

I jerked my head back in surprise and glanced to Temari, who blushed and looked off to the side.

"Nah Temari ain't my girlfriend. Girls are too troublesome, especially her."

"Your friend is truly as dim as he is brave." Temari said in reply. "Besides kid, this crybaby is way too much trouble for me anyway. I'm Temari of the Sand and your friend is my escort…nothing more."

"Oh she's a perfect fit for you Shikamaru." He joked, eliciting a laugh from Ino.

"Same old Naruto, never knowing when to keep your mouth shut." I said as I patted him on the shoulder then slid my hand into a playful slap on the face. He certainly didn't see it coming and my little whack got a snicker out of Temari.

"Same old Shikamaru, always bitching and never doing anything about it."

He turned his head to Hinata and smiled. She didn't know what to say, looking at the object of her desire smiling right at her. Her smile trembled a bit as she was overcome with joy, a tear strolling down her cheek. She whimpered a bit.

"Hey," he said as he took his hand and gently brushed her cheek, wiping the tear off. "Hey beautiful, why're ya cryin'? Is that a tear I see?"

She softly shook her head, but Naruto saw through the deception. "A pretty girl like you shouldn't be worrying all the time, not with me around." He continued to stroke her cheek with his hand and Hinata gently took her hand to hold his. "You were here all night again weren't you?" She nodded. "Don't worry…I won't ever die on ya, not on my watch. Hinata…"

"N-N-Naruto…" She whispered.

Suddenly he reached to the back of Hinata's neck and pulled her in, though inaccurate at first, for perhaps the longest kiss I've ever seen. At first she was wide-eyed and thrown off kilter, but the sensation overwhelmed her as she held onto Naruto and embraced the warmth of his newfound love. Temari, Ino, and I stood there in shock but with some satisfaction seeing this.

"Hey hey! Is he up again? Is he finally…oh…" Choji exclaimed as he barged in, then noticing our fixation on Naruto and Hinata locking lips, shutting up instantly. The two stopped kissing, Hinata gasping for breath; her hair tussled messily, almost fainting to the ground. Ino helped her up to her feet as she struggled to regain some composure. Behind the disorderly look Hinata had, I knew deep inside she was on cloud nine.

"Well that was interesting…and even a little entertaining at the same time." Choji chimed. "I heard about the promotions, so I managed to smuggle a little celebration stuff."

"Whaddaya talkin' about Choji?" Ino asked.

"I'm glad you asked Ino, because you'll be amazed to know I managed to sneak off with some of Sarutobi's 'field' sake. I washed my canteen out and quickly poured some into mine and mixed his with some other stuff. Hopefully he won't find out."

"Meh most of that stuff tastes the same anyway. I mean he smokes a bunch so I bet he has that tobacco taste in his mouth."

"How d'ya know that Shikamaru? Ya kissed him or something?" Ino joked.

"Ino…God damn it. That was a ballsy move Choji, but methinks you'll be all right." I replied to assure Choji. I never put it past the sarge to have some sake along with his smokes in order to deal with our bullshit.

"Good good…all right guys get out your caps!" Choji instructed as we unscrewed our canteens and let him pout a small bit into the caps. I helped Naruto with his and gave my spare to Temari. Sarutobi's sake was usually of good quality when he offered a swig or two to me, so there wasn't any need to warn the guys.

Raising our caps high, Choji said, "Guys, a lotta shit went down in the past few days. We lost good people like Yona, we almost lost our dear friend Naruto, we made a new friend," as he glanced to Temari, "we had a dream come true," Hinata blushed, "and we wanna say a big congrats to Privates, er I mean Privates First Class Hyuga and Uzumaki on their recent promotion. There's more fightin' left to go around, so let's do what we keep doin' and win so we can all go home!"

"Here here Choji!" Ino yelled.

"Yeah here here!" Naruto added.

Upon the toast, we slugged the sake down. For me it had a slight kick but went down smoother than expected. Naruto was slightly more responsive to the hooch.

"Yowza…that'll steam your engine!" He yelled as even Ino and Hinata grimaced after the sake went down their throats. Temari seemed to have no problem with it though which added another notch to my respect meter. Tough broad…

We stayed with Naruto for a little longer, just to make sure he was recovering instead of straining himself. As stubborn and tough as he was, he wasn't invincible, as proven from the incident with the StuG. We were quite surprised to see the rather speedy recovery despite his banged up body. Sure it hurt him to move but we were sure with enough time and the right medicine he'll be walking around again.

"Hey Choji, Ino, Temari…" I said pulling the three to the side. "We should be getting back to Sarutobi. He's probably getting his shit squared away without us and besides…gotta figure out what we're doin' next anyway. I say we amscray and let the lovebirds have their moment."

"Agreed." Replied Ino.

Taking once last glance at Naruto and Hinata, a faint smile emerged from my face. Normally I'm a cynical ass when it comes to touching moments like this, but for the first time I had a gut feeling that this was right, and couldn't get righter. I'm sure the squirt would be up and around in a few hours, albeit in considerable pain.

It would normally take about ten minutes to get back to our squad's camping grounds, but the four of us high-stepped it a bit to shorten the journey. If I know Sarutobi, he absolutely loathes waiting around for people, especially me. Funny though about him waiting, because as we were walking back, we happened to be intercepted by none other than our squad leader himself.

"Well well, fancy meeting the Ino-Shika-Cho trio plus one. Heard you guys had a bit of a scrap with the Hyuga kid from first am I right?" He asked as he inched his way closer to us, almost uncomfortably, as if he was trying to pry some sort of guilt out of us. He wouldn't find any.

"No sergeant, we didn't have the scrap with Neji, it was Uzumaki who did." Choji answered.

"The comatose kid from 4th?"

"Yes sergeant, he by the grace of the Almighty somehow got out of his condition and wailed on the bastard. The funniest part was that he was defending Neji's cousin from 2nd."

"You mean the meek girl who stutters and sputters worse than a worn engine?"

"Yes'um."

"Well I hope he's back on his feet soon, because we're rolling out and in for a travel."

"Why what's goin' on sergeant?" I asked.

"We're going back to the Land of Fire, back home."

"Really? We are?" Ino asked with some enthusiasm as we finally made it to the squad camp.

"Sadly not that kind of going home. We're being dropped on the airfield at the borderline between our home and the Land of the Waterfall. We have our company replacements there waiting for us, along with several other companies in holding."

"So what's the game plan then sergeant?" I questioned.

"Well HQ believes that if the Water forces are attempting an airborne invasion and there are Sand resistance cells in the villages, then we have to offer as much help as possible. What we're there for is to establish a second front for the Soundies, keep them off their balance by commencing a massive armor and infantry push from the border.

"So it's sorta like a pincer move?" Choji asked.

"Kind of, though it's not the classic form you'd think it is since the Water boys are dropping right inside instead of an amphibious landing. It's most certainly dangerous for them since they'll be dropping right in enemy territory, but knowing those guys and what they've been through I'm sure they'll be all right when we reach 'em."

"Well then what time are we leaving this dump then sergeant?"

"We depart in six hours, at 1600 sharp. We'll be arriving at our makeshift airfield at 1630 and then all the way back at around 2200. We'll position ourselves at the borderline, and then move in from there upon orders from HQ. Action's comin' back to us ladies and gents, and it'll be big, so until then get your shit ready and meet up by the company halftracks."

"_Great…just what I wanted to hear. Then again there was drama even when resting around. No rest for the wicked…what a drag." _I thought as I could only imagine what the Soundies would have in store for us if they weren't caught off guard.

The ride to the airfield was bumpy and rough giving me a pain in the ass I swear would take a chiropractor a month to work on. I could see Ino and Temari sharing the similar pain. It must've been much worse for them given the fact they're girls. Already I could see our C-47 transports in the distance, loading up supplies, weapons, and Fox Company.

"Ever rode in a plane before Temari?" I curiously asked loudly due to the volume of the halftracks.

She shook her head.

"Oh you're gonna love it then. Gets nice and bumpy the whole way through! Don't be surprised if ya hurl!"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence Shikamaru. I really appreciate it!"

"Anytime!"

The trucks parked about five hundred feet from the aircraft, our squad leaders running to the backs barking dismount orders. Without delay we grabbed our things and made way to the aircraft. Our kits were being loaded in the back. I knew some would get mixed up as they always did, but it didn't matter that much given the day or two we'd have to sort shit out.

"Ok 3rd let's move it! These birds have gotta fly and we can't keep 'em waiting." Sarutobi yelled over the sound of the propellers. I caught a limping Naruto at the corner of my eye. I was relieved that he was able to walk around. I'd say give the kid another day or two and he'd be back to full strength.

"3rd! We're with the second chalk of flights. 1st Platoon takes off in 15 minutes and then we're next! We'll be on the sixth plane, following the captain, the LT, Sergeant Yamato, the engineers, the mortar teams, followed by 1st and 2nd squads. Get strapped in tight! This flight's gonna be a while."

"Ya know what time we're landing sergeant?" Hanzo asked.

"I'd have a hazard to guess in about six hours from takeoff. Use the time to get some shuteye that is if you can."

A half-hour later after 1st loaded up, the crewmen of the C-47s ran up to load us in. In single file we crammed into the planes. They were impressive sights, humming with mechanical efficiency, filled to the brim with war materiel, painted festively with the sign of Konoha with wings at both sides, the symbol of the Konoha Air Corps. My palms became a bit sweaty as the doors closed and we were almost ready for takeoff. There was something about flying that always seemed so troublesome, maybe the fact that you're not in control and at any moment something could go wrong or a Soundie Messerschmitt could come outta nowhere and pluck you right outta the sky.

"Nervous again Shikamaru?" A familiar voice jeered at me from across the plane. It was lovable Naruto. "Hope ya don't boot like ya did last time." His jab at me got a laugh from Temari, embarrassing me greatly.

Damn it Naruto! Why do ya always gotta throw me off my cool, especially in front of Temari of all people?

"What in the world are you talking about? Besides, I'm more worried about you getting all messed up on us…again."

"Meh…whatever. You worry about yourself lazy."

To my comfort, I noticed Temari equally as uncomfortable. It was more the first time being on an aircraft and all the new sensations that came with it.

"It's ok Temari," I said. "It may seem rough but it's the best way to travel. Here…" and with initiative that even threw me off guard given its rarity, I held out my hand. "You can hold on if you want to."

The plane started its takeoff abruptly, nearly throwing everyone off their seats had it not been for the harnesses.

"Here we go…" Choji muttered.

The plane rattled and shook a little bit and the sweat appeared on our faces. Suddenly my hand felt grasped as Temari took up my offer and grabbed my hand. She had some strength in her given how tight she was squeezing my hand, but strangely I felt some comfort in this, even if a troublesome broken hand occurred and the subsequent troublesome healing had to follow. It took only a few seconds for us to get flying, the moon illuminating the planes and the ground below. Surprisingly enough the ride became a lot more smooth so I followed Sarutobi's advice and tried to get some rest before we landed. Everyone else was doing the same so I guess monkey see, monkey do.

The next thing I remembered was feeling a slow bumping sensation. I woke up to see the early morning horizon as we no doubt began our descent. I turned to shockingly find Temari still asleep, but with her hand and head on my shoulder. I dared not wake her up though since she had the most tranquil look on her face. Nevertheless the loud thump we got with the 3-point landing took care of what I though I'd have to do, so no wrath for me from a groggy, troublesome woman. Huzzah.

"Hey there…looks like we're at our destination."

She slowly opened her eyes, taking a small swig from her canteen, and immediately pushed herself off me, almost shocked to see herself resting against me.

"Oh jeez…was I out the whole trip?" She said trying to cover her tracks by changing the subject.

"Yeah, you were, and by the looks of it we got about six hours of sleep. Not bad for being on a shaky plane like this one."

"Indeed."

"Ok 3rd, it's time! Move, move, move!" Sarutobi yelled as the doors opened and we quickly unfastened ourselves and piled out of the plane. The morning haze settled over the tarmac as my squad and I quickly ran to grab their assorted gear. Temari was the only one lucky enough to not have to lug all the heavy shit. Looking around, I took a deep breath of relief. I was back at home. This was familiar territory. Despite the hustle and bustle of the airfield, the peaceful forests and dirt roads surrounding lifted my spirits, and from what I saw everyone else.

"Feels good don't it Shikamaru?" Naruto asked as he rushed to catch up to me.

"It most certainly does. It's a drag we're only gonna be here for a short while."

"Come on people we gotta move! The colonel is gonna be briefing soon and we all gotta be ready!" Mitarashi yelled as we continued to rush to the hangars. From what Sarutobi told me Colonel Jiraiya was gonna be briefing almost everyone associated with the operation. I could tell this was gonna be huge. We crammed into the huge hangar as best we could. At least the Air Corps boys were charitable enough to clear the areas of their planes. I could count well up to a thousand people, all crammed into this one large hangar. Towards one of the walls a large podium with blown up tactical maps stood, obviously where the colonel would brief. To be honest I've never seen the man in person but I heard he's been around for quite some time, his rank proving his skill and experience.

Some new faces emerged from the crowd, most likely our new recruits. I could only imagine what possible thoughts they'd have on this whole ordeal since most of them are probably still green and idealistic about what the war will be like. Without warning, the chatter from all the companies went silent as the colonel approached the stage, his grey hair and worn face a testament to his combat experience. Colonel Tsunade's adjutant, Major Shizune, followed. I figured Colonel Tsunade was too busy doing other things and instructing other companies on other operations to accompany her associate.

"Men and women of Konoha, I must first congratulate you on your success in the liberation of the Cloud Village in the Land of Lightning from Sound tyranny. As I speak the last pockets of resistance are being swept away by our fightin' men and women." His statement caused cheers to erupt followed by applause. The colonel signaled for quiet and continued. "We have seen great accomplishments against the Sound, but now we have another daunting task. Behind me lies the map of the Land of the Waterfall, a nation besieged relentlessly by the Sound enemy. Our ally, the Land of Water, is attempting an airborne operation to strike deep within Sound territory and free another land. They have requested assistance from us and the Hokage has willingly accepted it. Standing before me are Able, Baker, Charlie, Fox, George, King Companies, Victor and X-Ray Batteries, and a whole squadron of our Air Corps, the prides of Konoha. You will all be part of the invasion force to smash through the Sound lines and reach the Water forces for a joint push against the Sound forces. Initially, come two days from now, the Konoha Air Corps will begin a bombing run to weaken enemy forces, which then we will commence a two-way sweep across the border, into the Waterfall lands to reach the airborne Water troops. Companies Charlie and George will push through the right flank assisted by X-Ray Battery and Baker's armor. Companies Fox and King will push through the left flank assisted by Victor Battery and Able's armor. If successful, this will divert the attention of the Sound armies to us, allowing some reprieve for the Water boys to take out key infrastructure and defenses. Upon linkup, we will then push towards the coast, sending those Sound bastards right into the ocean."

Another cheer erupted from the crowd.

"What I ask from you all will be difficult. The Sound enemy is no pushover, and like in the Land of Lightning, they will be resolute, tough, and tricky. People will get hurt and people will die, but it is up to us to make sure that they are the ones who're dying and not us or the oppressed Waterfall people anymore!"

He was answered by more cheers and applause, wearing a shit-eating grin on his face. I felt bad all over, having to slug it out again with the Soundies. Normally I'd complain but I knew Colonel Jiraiya, along with the captain, the first sergeant, and Colonel Tsunade, they'd all been veterans of the Great War, so they knew exactly what shitstorm would await us. As disorganized as possible, the companies/batteries meandered outside to form back up. I reckoned we'd get a day of rest and then the "fun" would begin…just my luck. Everyone seemed to be in better spirits nonetheless.

I tagged along with Choji and Naruto, making our way to Able Company and their Shermans. I saw another few tanks amongst them…something I've never seen.

"Wowee… look at the size of that whammer!" Choji exclaimed.

"Yeah you're telling me! I've only seen the Stuart, the Wolverine, and the Sherman, but this one looks badass!" Naruto added.

"Damn right it's badass Naruto and I'm the one who commands it!" A voice said from behind us. Naruto's eyes widened like a deer in the headlights as he ran towards the stranger, like he was Santa Claus or some shit.

"Sir! Oh my God sir! I can't believe you're gonna be with us on this! This is gonna be so awesome!" He yelled as he shook his hand violently.

"I'm glad to see you too." The man replied. He looked like he was about ten years older than us, a large scar running across his nose underneath his eyes. "Hey I heard you got promoted Uzumaki! Congrats."

"Oh…oh yeah that's right sir! Pretty soon I'll be on the fast track to sergeant!"

"Always positive I see. Good. And who are these gentlemen?"

"Oh I'm sorry I almost forgot sir. These are my friends Private Choji Akimichi and Private First Class Shikamaru Nara. Guys, this is Captain Iruka Umino, the commander of Able Company! He's been my mentor since I was a little kid!"

"Sir, a pleasure to meet you." I said extending my hand for a shake.

"Likewise." He said as he grasped mine and shook it.

"So sir, are we ready to kick some ass or what?"

"Whoa whoa slow down there buddy. We don't wanna get ahead of ourselves. We need our rest first."

"Sir," Choji said, "pardon my asking, but what kind of tank is this anyway? We've never seen it."

"Oh this? This right here is the big badass of Able Company, the _Shinobi's Pride_, an M26 Pershing heavy tank. This baby along with the _Sound Smasher_ and the _Rock of Konoha_ could smash a Panzer to pieces. My tank already has over 25 kills. This baby is near indestructible!" He boasted, slapping the metal hull of the mechanical beast.

"Wow that's so cool Iruka, I mean sir!" Naruto turned red.

"Ha ha…don't sweat the 'sir' stuff Naruto. Hey any girls you picked up yet? A good lookin' guy like you should have the dames by the barrelful!"

"Well sir, our little Naruto has already grown up and gotten himself a fetching woman." Choji answered.

"Good for you! I bet she's gorgeous and is as feisty as you!" I'd say Temari fit his description ten times better than Hinata. "It's that Hyuga girl isn't it?" He whispered to me and Choji. We nodded and he got the message.

"Well I gotta get going. This offensive is gonna be huge and I need to get preparations done early. Naruto, you take care of yourself and that girl. Boys, you look after this kid. Sure he's fiery and impulsive but he's got a heart o' gold!" Captain Umino said as he slapped Naruto's shoulder and shook him lightly. I take it he wasn't aware of the recent injuries. "See you boys in the field!"

"Try not to take all the action away from Fox Company sir!" Naruto yelled as we were walking back to our company area.

The area was alive with equipment assignment, formations, and the greetings of the new recruits. A few seemed particularly enthusiastic as they were alive with chatter. From the looks of it they were just kids. One came up to us, bright-eyed and energetic.

"Hey guys, are any of you in 4th squad?"

"Yeah I am. What's it to ya?" replied Naruto.

"Oh great! Finally someone in my squad! I saw the sergeant lady but I was afraid to talk to her, figures she looks like the type of dame that'll smack me around somethin' fierce. The name's Konohamaru."

"Fresh from basic aren't ya kid?" I asked.

"Yes'um. Hey guys! I found someone that can help us!" Immediately two others, a reddish-haired girl and a sleepy lookin' guy, went up to this Konohamaru kid.

"Hiya." The girl said.

"Hey." Choji said in reply.

"Fellas, this here's my pals Moegi and Udon. They're gonna be in 1st and 2nd squads. Oh that's great I got a chum in 4th. What's your name?" He asked Naruto.

For a second I caught a wide grin on Naruto's face. Here was a kid who he could mentor and who didn't know about what the rest thought of him. "Konohamaru, I'm Private First Class Naruto Uzumaki, one of the bravest sum'bitches ya ever met! I'm certainly glad you're gonna be in my squad. I've got a lot to show ya. Stick with me kid, and I'll not only keep ya alive but get ya some shiny medals too. They work wonders on the ladies!"

"Oh really? You can do that?" The kid's naiveté was painful but I'd let Naruto have his moment.

"You bet I can! I should tell ya the story of how I assaulted a tank all by myself…"

"Wow!"

"Hey Tenten! Shino! We got some newbies for ya!" Choji yelled. The two quickly came up, eager to meet their newest additions while Naruto continued to bullshit actual stories, just in his own fantasy version.

"What's up gentlemen?" Tenten asked.

"Well it turns out you and Shino have new members. Which one of you is in first?" The redhead raised her hand.

"Perfect! I needed more female companions. 1st has way too much testosterone to handle." Tenten's comment got a giggle out of Moegi. "Come on, I'll introduce ya, then show ya the ropes being in Sergeant Morino's squad."

"You'll like Tenten private. She's a hell of a shot with that stove pipe of hers!"

"Choji, don't flatter me in front of the rookie."

"Corporal Shino Aburame, this here's Udon. He'll be joining you in 2nd."

"Ah excellent. The more the merrier I always say. Methinks you'll like it amongst my squad. I'll introduce you to the rest of the bunch."

"Thank you."

"So Uzumaki…"

"You can call me Naruto, Konohamaru."

"Ok Naruto, when the big battle comin'? I can't wait to show those Soundie bastards what I can dish!"

"Easy there young buck. It'll be comin' in two days."

"I wouldn't get the kid too riled up, unless you want him to get a rude awakening." I cynically responded to Naruto.

"Don't mind Shikamaru, kid. He's just a smartass crybaby, but he's my friend and smart as hell. You'll get your action though, and boy be ready for it."

"You bet! Two days huh? I can't wait!"

"Yep two days."

"_Two days until we're back in the fire again huh? Troublesome…"_ I pondered. "_Yeah…can't wait."_


	10. Chapter 10

Certainly didn't feel like two days rest. Here I was, back out in the open again. Sarutobi told us we had to take some random hill, Hill # 367. The brass says it's a great outlook on the overlying town about a few miles away from the peak that we'll have to take just as soon as this God-forsaken patch of Earth was grabbed from the Soundies. Much to Temari's relief there were reports of Sand fighters in that aforementioned town, so right after we trounce the enemy with our tanks it'll be a quick linkup. The Soundies still don't know of our armored presence here and from what Shino told me the Air Corps elicited a fighter scramble and a shift of forces in the wrong direction. Leave it to the flyboys to fool the enemy into thinking we're coming from somewhere else, well at least it gave us a slight element of surprise. We walked in tactical formation behind Able Company's tanks, waiting for the first bullet to fly.

"Leaf 7, this is Leaf 34, still no sign of contact, proceeded to Objective three-niner, over." The radio hissed.

"Roger that 34. Proceed with caution. Stay close to Able's cover."

"You heard the chatter guys, stay with the tanks. It's our best bet for survival." Sarutobi barked.

We were packed in tight groups behind the two Shermans _Whirlwind_ and _Dynamic Entry_ rolling towards the hill. Temari, Choji, Ino, Toyama, and I stayed behind the _Whirlwind_ while the others bunched with Sarutobi.

We could hear Able's radio chatter even outside the tanks. Captain Umino led with the _Shinobi's Pride_ in the front. I could see Naruto closely behind. Figures the pee-wee would stick close to his claimed mentor.

"Still no sight of the Soundies sir, this is gettin' boring, over." The _Whirlwind_'s radio sputtered.

"Yeah yeah Genma quit yer bitchin'." They'll be comin'. We're approaching Objective three-niner in about one click, get that Calliope ready. We're gonna have to blanket the fuckers in a sea of ordnance."

"So that's what that thing is." Ino whispered to me, pointing to the monstrous collection of tubes on top the _Whirlwind_.

"Jesus…I don't wanna be on the receiving end of that!" said Toyama.

"Yeah no shit."

"Leaf 1, this is Leaf 7, we're approaching the hill, awaiting instructions over." The LT's voice came over the radio.

"Copy that Leaf 7, let the tanks commence support by fire and await the order to charge. Keep medical and mortars in the rear, expect resistance. Leaf 1 out."

"Almost there." I said. The hill was in plain sight and from the looks of it a labyrinth of dragon's teeth, barbed wire, and concrete.

"Shit they've got dragon's teeth!" One of the voices said from the tank radio.

"Calm down Ebisu. We don't need to get that close, let the ground-pounders of Fox take care of that." The Able captain answered.

"Well I'm flattered he's leaving the job to us to get up close and personal," muttered Choji. "Just when I thought the tanks would have all the fun."

"Yeah Choji…real fun huh?" I responded.

Suddenly a faint boom emerged from the hill quickly followed by a dust cloud. They spotted us with the anti-tank guns…shit. The dirt right in front of the _Sound Smasher_ kicked up, spewing rock and ground everywhere.

"Contact! Contact! From the hill! Genma, lay the Calliope on 'em!"

"No problem!"

"Shit guys, get the fuck back now!" Sarutobi yelled as we made tracks to get behind him and the _Dynamic Entry_. In an instant loud roars and sparks emerged from the _Whirlwind_'s launcher, spewing dozens of rockets at the bunkered hill. Massive eruptions of dirt and whatever else those rockets hit flew into the air about a hundred feet up. Like Toyama said, I'd hate to be on the receiving end of that!

"Ha ha ha…this is fun! Let's see how the Soundies like that! Yeehaaaaaa!" The _Whirlwind_ commander screamed, only to be answered by another two rounds landing close by. A piece of shrapnel scraped Ino's arm, but it only caused a minor laceration.

"INO!" Choji yelled.

"I'm fine Choji, don't worry. Come on you tankers! Kill those fuckers!" She yelled to Able Company, hoping her scream would get through amidst the explosions.

"Hey sir did ya hear the lady? She's got a request!" The _Dynamic Entry_ said.

"Well let's not disappoint! Able Company, target bunkers and all AT positions, get it softened up for the Fox boys!"

With that order, the Shermans, Wolverines, and Pershings of Able let loose their rounds, pounding small craters in the earth. Some dust was kicking up along the road due west of the hill. Seems like they had a welcoming party.

"Looks like we've got company! Raido, Hayate, link up with the _Rock of Konoha_ and the _Gentle Fist _and head them off. We've still got a hill to take!" Captain Umino ordered.

"Roger."

The tanks supporting 1st and 2nd squads veered left to greet our new adversaries. I looked through my scope to find a couple of Panzers and some StuGs. Judging by the confidence in the Able captain I figured they were small time. 1st and 2nd squads got into the wood line. I figured they were gonna try and take out those tanks as best they could. Knowing Tenten was with 'em I reckon she might get her first Panzer kill, though not likely seeing how Able looked like a bunch of glory hogs. A couple plumes of smoke from the distance to my left gave sign that the Sound armor was getting torn to pieces.

"Fox Company! Advance! Keep behind the tanks!" The captain ordered as the tanks rolled forward full steam ahead. The machine guns from the hill roared as the impacts of their rounds spattered all around us. No one got hit thanks to Able's armor. The tanks continued to pound the hill into submission. We saw a PAK 38 gun go up in an eruption of scrap and a sandbag MG position explode. We cheered watching the carnage, as if it was watching fireworks as children.

"Keep moving 3rd keep moving! We have to take this hill!" Sarutobi screamed at the top of his lungs. Our pace increased to near double time as the tanks picked up the rate of movement. It was almost like the charge at the church again.

"Enemy armor 3 o'clock! Panzer!" Naruto yelled from behind his Sherman, the _Falling Leaves_. The tank offering support for him immediately turned his gun and fired, hitting the Panzer with only a glancing blow. The Panzer fired in return and hit the _Sound Smasher_'s front, the round luckily bouncing off.

"Damn it I just nicked the sum'bitch!" The tank commander moaned from the radio. Our section halted to try to get a bead on the approaching enemy tank.

"Here buddy let me help!" answered Kankuro, though I doubt the tank commander heard it. Ignoring the incoming fire, he swerved himself to the side of the tank. "All clear! Firing!" With the acrid smell of gunpowder and carbon, the rocket screamed from his launcher towards the Panzer, striking it right at the head. The round nearly knocked the turret clean off as the beast lurched to a halt, smoke bellowing from every slit in its armor. That hit was so on the mark even Tenten woulda been jealous.

"Fuck yeah! Great job Kankuro!" Temari cheered.

"One in a million buddy! I knew he'd fit well with 4th!" added Ayako. A big smile went from ear to ear on Kankuro's face, as MG fire forced him to take cover again and reload.

"Good job whoever that was from Fox. We'll be sure to get ya some drinks for that bullseye!" the voice that we believed was Captain Umino said through the static.

"Ok guys, the tanks are movin' again so gotta keep with 'em, otherwise we're all dead!" Mitarashi said breaking up the celebration.

The chaos got louder as we got closer and closer to the hill. The incline began to rise sharply, until the even the tanks had a hard time getting up. Looking to my left I saw 1st Platoon, then our 1st and 2nd squads rejoining us. I knew the inevitable was about to happen.

"Ok infantry, we'll offer what support we can, but you gotta clear out that hill! Good luck!" the _Shinobi's Pride_ said as we stuck close behind the tanks while they located and pounded whatever anti-tank weaponry they could find. I felt sorry for the Sound bastards. This was one of the most one-sided fights I've even seen.

"You heard the tanks 2nd Platoon!" shouted 2LT Lee. "They'll fire some more rounds then prepare for the charge! Fix bayonets!"

"Fix bayonets!" the squad leaders and Sergeant Yamato echoed. The second they did half of us clipped our combat knifes on our rifles. I wasn't as fortunate to have a clip for mine, but I like wielding mine in my hand anyway. The tanks let loose two more salvos before the dust settled, and the pounding in my heart grew. The church attack was about to happen all over again.

"Get ready Temari." I said.

"Don't worry about me Leaf boy, I'm always ready."

"CHARGE!"

And like we were back in the Cloud Village, cheers, screams, and threats poured out of our mouths at the battered Sound enemy, but they were ready. Some MG42 emplacements that survived the barrage laid down what fire they could, cutting a few from 1st Platoon down. The _Gentle Fist_ and one of Tenten's rockets tore two into pieces. Naruto blasted wildly with his B.A.R. at two oncoming defenders, mowing them down with frightening speed. He rushed towards where he saw Hinata and Shino advancing, his protégé Konohamaru in tow, firing away with his Garand. Ya figured for a guy that was comatose a half a week ago, he certainly heals fast. I spotted a rifleman aiming at Ino and nailed him before I could do any damage. Thinking I was ok hiding behind one of the tank traps, I took another pot shot at a soldier shooting at the sergeant content to see him fall so quickly. A sudden rush of pain went to my head as unbeknownst to me a Soundie got the drop on me and nailed me with his entrenching spade. Slightly stunned but still able, I caught his knife lunge at me, holding his blade back with whatever strength I could muster. He laid another blow to my face with his fist and attempted another stab, but I was still able to hold him, but not for long. The blade crept closer and closer to my throat, almost piercing the skin. This couldn't be the way I was going out…not like this. Suddenly he froze stiff and slowly lurched over to my side, blood pouring from his mouth. My eyes still semi-blurred, a hand came within my line of sight. The voice was deep and slurred that called to me.

"SHIKAMARU!" The voice yelled as a slap came across my face. My senses came back to me as I saw Temari with her hand out to help me up. Just my luck, I almost die and a troublesome woman saves my ass. Why couldn't it have been Choji or Sarutobi? I grabbed her hand as she helped me up and led me to some dragon's teeth that we shared for cover.

"You're welcome."

"Thanks." It was all I could say, apparently still shaken up by the near death experience.

"Don't mention it. Wouldn't want our lazy crybaby to die prematurely right?"

"Just get to shootin'. Highest count gets $20." I replied unemotionally.

"I thought you said kill count meant nothing to you!"

"I lied…"

"Glad to know that. Well in that case you're on!"

With that we took aim and took down whoever or whatever we could. All around us bedlam ensued. The .50 cal gunners on the tanks had their fun in tearing the enemy to pieces, trying to steal whatever kills Choji could rack up as he positioned himself next to me. I saw Ino in the charge, smashing a soldier's face with her carbine like it was made of glass. This wasn't a fight…it was a massacre. We dropped on the Soundies like a hawk on a fledgling chick. The fight they put wasn't nearly what I'd thought it would be and knowing my intuition that meant it spelled trouble up ahead. Sakura and Sai were busy placing charges on the concrete bunker emplacements while Sasuke led a charge on an enemy trench alongside 4th squad. Temari's brother Gaara took extreme pleasure mowing down any defenders that crossed his path, smashing ones that got too close. Naruto was right there alongside Hinata. Despite the bloodshed all around me, I smiled for a second seeing how quickly the two of them came to defend and rely on one another, even in the midst of a battle. Kankuro took aim at a mortar position and blew it to pieces. I spotted a machine gunner rushing towards him but one crack of my rifle covered his ass. I'd have to remind myself to tell Temari that I just saved her brother…figures it'd make us even.

"Shikamaru, Temari, Choji, cover us. I'm takin' 3rd into the command bunker!" Sarutobi ordered.

"On it! Ok guys, pick your targets and watch your aim!" I yelled to the two. After Sarutobi threw a smoke grenade, spewing its smoky contents, we immediately fixed our sights on the bunker straight ahead. Choji began laying down what fire he could in the MG slats to keep their heads down. I nailed two soldiers trying to shoot at my comrades while Temari got an officer trying to maintain the rank and file of the disoriented Soundies. I smirked. "_I'm still higher than you are Temari_."

Closer and closer my squadmates got to the command bunker. The battle was getting more intense, but all the intensity came from us. Able Company swerved to the other side of the hill to block off reinforcements and any possible means of escape, leaving Fox Company to clean up the mess. Behind us were 3rd and 4th Platoons as security and flanking forces. They were the lucky ones. We laid down what fire we could into whatever orifice the command bunker had or was given courtesy of our ordnance. When Sarutobi led the charge inside, we stopped.

"Jesus I hope they'll be all right." I said.

"Are you kiddin' Sure Shot? That's the sergeant leadin' 'em! I bet we won't see a scratch on any one of them."

"Damn it Choji I told you to lay off that name!" I yelled as a stray bullet clipped the top of the concrete I sat behind, shaving a few of my hairs off my head. The enemy wasn't done with us. "Ah shit! Choji take care of 'em while Temari and I advance!"

"No problem! Covering fire!" He screamed as he sporadically sprayed bullets down the trenchlines.

"Temari, stay close to me and follow my lead. We're clearing one of the trenches."

"WHAT?!?"

"You heard me. No sense doin' nothing but waiting for the sergeant. Grab your pistol and c'mon!"

"You're insane."

"That's just another word for brilliant." I replied as I ran off to a small trench and hopped in, Temari following suit. We were lucky to be unexpectedly accompanied by Sakura and Sai who I guess got lost in the chaos. We huddled close to the trench wall looking for any approaching enemies.

"Fancy meeting you here Shikamaru." Sai said.

"Likewise…"

"Hey fellas I hate to break up the reunion but we've got a trench to clear!" Sakura yelled.

"Right. You two take left! Temari and I will take right!"

"Got it. Good luck." She said as she and Sai ran off while we split right to face the enemy. Two Soundies with MP40s ran to meet us but Temari and I stopped 'em. A stray bullet scraped Temari in the shoulder, a small spot of blood getting into her clothing.

"Damn it! Ahhhh!" She complained.

"You ok Temari?" I asked.

"Yeah I'm fine, just really pissed now."

"_Oh shit,_" I thought. "_Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned._"

I was abruptly shoved by Temari who ran like a jackrabbit through the trench line. Trying to catch up she charged another cluster of the enemy, shooting two dead and knocking another senseless with her rifle. "_This woman is scary…and violent…perhaps more than my own mother._"

After reloading, she screamed and charged even further into the trench. Her fury didn't catch the soldier behind her as he knocked her to the ground with his rifle. Quickly I managed to pop a shot off, felling the would-be assailant. I helped her off her back as she gave me a look that I knew needn't be followed with thanks. Now we were even.

Stopping to catch a small breath, I couldn't help but to observe the intensity she displayed.

"I'm sure glad I'm not one of the Soundies right now fighting you." I mused.

"Consider it a blessing Shikamaru."

"Indeed I will. Shall we?"

"Let's…"

We continued our assault through, running towards the end where a small group of Soundies covered themselves in a ruined anti-tank position. Before they had the chance to perforate us, we jumped behind what cover we could.

"Damn!" I yelled. "Can't get a shot off."

"Yeah I know! Our pistols have no range and we can't aim with our rifles. Shit…" Temari agreed.

To our luck I noticed a box with _Stielhandgrenaten_ and cracked it opened. My eyes lit up like Choji's did at an all-you-can-eat pork rib barbeque.

"Fortune smiles upon us today Temari!" I yelled, grabbing a few and tossing one to her as the bullets continued flying around us. "How long these things got?"

"5 seconds!"

"Ok we pull and throw on three!" We pull the detonation cord and lined up our throw. "One…two…THREE!" We quickly chucked our grenades as best we could into the huddle of Soundies. Their panicked yelling silenced a few seconds afterwards. Taking advantage of their confusion, we rushed in. Two of them raised their hands in surrender.

"Don't you move! Don't you fucking move! Weapons down now!" I screamed with my rifle aimed straight at one's face. Temari handled the other one. Suddenly some loud reports a shout of pain emerged and at the corner of my eye a Soundie slumped to the ground. Temari and I almost got shot…again.

"Jesus Shikamaru…must I always be covering your ass?" The little blonde smartass Naruto sneered to me. The kid Konohamaru was right next to him, grinning like an idiot. "Ya see Konohamaru…that's how it's done!"

"Right boss! Stay low, aim high, and never hesitate to nail the bastards!" I was glad to see the little guy was enjoying the one-sided battle so much. Resting next to Temari in the trench, we kept a close eye on the situation along with Naruto and Konohamaru, making sure our newly surrendering friends didn't try anything funny. The battle sounded like it was winding down anyway…good.

I looked off to where the command bunker was. Smoke and dust were still bellowing from it. I was upset I couldn't help but I figured Temari and I did enough anyway. I just felt shitty about leaving Choji behind like that, but he had support. Within a few minutes, no more sounds came from the bunker as we witnessed with joy the Sound flag being taken down and the flag of the Leaf Village being raised. In an instant a massive roar of celebration erupted from throughout the battleground. A look of shock and utter defeat covered the faces of our prisoners. They did it. Sarutobi and my 3rd squad did it.

"Ah nuts…I wanted to be the one doin' that!" Naruto moaned. Konohamaru just laughed.

"Remember last time you tried something like that numbnuts?"

"Ummmm…no I don't." We knew he was full of shit, but for the rookie's sake I'd keep my trap shut.

"Konohamaru! We did it! We won!" screamed Moegi from about twenty meters away. She ran to the boy and embraced him in a huge hug. All around the surviving Soundies raised their arms in surrender, some more coerced to do so than others. I saw 2LT Lee pumping his fist in joy, knowing this near flawless operation won him a shitload of brownie points with the captain and first sergeant.

I looked at Temari, who was still breathing deep, overcome by the rush of battle but exhilarated from the victory. I stuck my hand out towards her.

"Good job partner."

She grasped my hand, with a slight smile on her face and a trickle blood running down her face. "Likewise partner." I gotta admit…she was a firebrand of a woman. Charging the Soundies like that when even I wouldn't put her up a couple notches on my respect meter.

"Hold on just a second. Naruto watch our guests."

"Ok."

I reached into one of my pouches and grabbed some gauze I swiped from the medic tent a while ago. "You got a pretty bad cut from something Temari." I reached over and wiped the blood from her face, then applied it on the small laceration it was flowing from. She didn't quite know what to say, though the grimace on her face meant something stung.

"There we go. All better now. That blood was messin' up your hair."

She blushed, not knowing what to say. I was quite surprised by my gesture as well. Normally a troublesome woman like her I'd leave to her own devices. I dunno…something about seeing her bleeding like that, even slightly, gave me some need to help. I saw her blue eyes look at me with a notion that she was grateful nonetheless.

"Figures I'd see you lying on your ass by the time this battle ended. Typical Nara…" Sarutobi bitched to me as he and the rest of 3rd walked to my position. He lit himself another cigarette and handed one to Hanzo. It seems that they were all alive and healthy, barring Isshiki. "Hanzo, Toyama, escort the prisoners to the rear. Let 3rd and 4th Platoon take care of them."

"What happened to Isshiki?" Choji asked.

"He's ok. Soundie sliced his arm with a bayonet but that was all he got away with. Ino patched him up good. What happened to you two?" He asked observed the bumps, scratches, and cuts all over us.

"A fight sergeant. Soundies came lookin' for a fight and Temari and I provided." I answered confidently as I patted Temari on the shoulder. She blushed again which got me to thinking about that.

"I'll say. That was a good job 3rd. Shit that's the best I've seen in a while."

"Well Able Company's armor certainly helped us out." Ino added.

"When you're right you're right. Hell I heard our platoon didn't suffer a single loss. We got some wounded but they should be all right. Hey Private Uzumaki, shouldn't you be with 4th now?"

"Oh yeah…sorry sergeant." Naruto chuckled and then took off to find his squad, Konohamaru and Moegi close behind.

"I'm proud of you guys. We took that bunker like it was no one's business. They didn't even see us coming! One thing's for sure…with Able surrounding us there won't be any attacks comin' anytime soon."

The sergeant couldn't have been more right. This was more a rout than a victory. The silence accompanied by the Leaf Village flag raised high at the peak. No deaths in our platoon, Naruto back in full swing, I'm alive, and the realization that Temari and I might actually make a good team…yep things were definitely on the upswing today.

"Who's up for takin' five?" Choji asked. He was answered by a squad cheer.

"I'm game." I said.

"So am I." added Temari. I could tell she was relieved to hear about our lack of losses, knowing she wasn't with Gaara or Kankuro but them being ok was all she needed to hear.

As the dust settled, Temari and I looked one more time at our flag, raised high in the air. At that very moment, I saw it as the symbol of freedom and liberation from the Soundies. It was a symbol of hope.

"Hey I got an idea." I said.

"What?" Temari asked. "What's your pl…hey!"

"Nara where're ya goin'? Sarutobi yelled.

Leaving Temari behind, I ran off, trying to find a piece of cloth or some clothing material. To my luck I found a medical box with some sterile sheets. I made my way into the command bunker, prying boxes and shuffling around for something to write with. I found some writing ink unscathed by the assault. Using my art skills comparable to that of an elementary student, I drew a large symbol on the sheet, then took the Leaf flag down. I was greeted with protest from many, wondering why the fuck the flag was going down.

"Shikamaru what in the hell are you doing? Did that brain of yours suddenly go…" Temari stopped, seeing what I had drawn. Hey eyes widened, almost shocked by what I did. "Shikamaru…"

"I knew it'd be troublesome, but I thought it'd be something nice to display, for unity's sake."

Tying the sheet as best I could to the section of rope below the Leaf flag, I hoisted it up again atop the bunker, Temari following me. The men and women all around looked as the flag went higher and higher, all the way to the top. Right below it was my makeshift flag, the "I" symbol of the Sand. Though crude, it was a display of our unity against the Sound.

"Looks nice don't it Temari?" I asked, watching the two flags flutter in the wind.

"Yeah…yeah it most certainly does. Thank you." She said, smiling at me, her arm nuzzled right up against mine.

Things were getting rather interesting...


	11. Chapter 11

I still never found out what possessed me to do that makeshift Sand flag action, but it certainly won me the respect of Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari. It felt kinda good. It's been about four hours since the battle for Hill # 367, the guns were silent and there were no enemies in sight. All the wounded, dead, and POWs were shipped to the rear for treatment and processing. I figured the MPs would have some fun going through the numbers with our surrendering Sound friends. It was almost a blessing from God having a battle be won so decisively, and most important of all, none of 2nd Platoon died. Sure guys like Isshiki got some bad gashes or Temari had a bruise or two, but nothing some bandages, rest, and aspirin couldn't fix. Able Company poured out of their tanks to celebrate the victory, slapping hands with the guys from Fox, Naruto playing the giddy schoolboy role in front of Captain Umino, Kankuro taking a celebratory swig of sake courtesy of the tankers for that bulls eye he had on the Panzer, the rookies all congregating most likely sharing some bullshit stories on their early "heroics." Man…they're in for a rude awakening.

"Certainly a way to boost the morale ain't it Shikamaru?" Sarutobi asked.

"It sure is sergeant. I just hope the town nearby isn't crawling with Soundies, otherwise our 'morale boost' might be in for a surprise."

"Always the optimist Nara. Can't ya feel good for once? Besides, if the Soundies were in the town they'd have come after us by now. That or some sort of distress message woulda been sent."

"Good point sergeant…"

"Ya know, if you're gonna take the reins one day you gotta think about how to avoid the worst case scenarios instead of just thinkin' about 'em."

"Still think I got that potential don't ya sergeant."

"Don't think so…I know so. I'm thinking about recommending you for corporal."

"WHAT?" I yelled. To be honest, I saw it coming but I also didn't see it coming.

"Yeah you heard me. What just happened made me really think about your potential."

"Oh come on sergeant I know you're playing..." I protested. "_What a drag…here's the leadership crap again. Do you find this funny God?_" I lamented to myself as I gave my best attempt to make it look like I didn't care.

"I know that look Nara. You're not fooling anyone. This war's making men out of boys, including you. You might not realize it, but already you've grown. I remember you first as the lazy, whiny, little bitch that wouldn't even dig their own fighting position due to pure sloth. Now you lead an assault on a trench with only one person as backup and might I add is also quite a fetching partner, and you're both still alive. That took balls and gusto, something a leader's got. Hell that girl Temari, she's almost the complete opposite of you but at the same time so very similar."

"What're you driving at sergeant?" I asked with a slight tone of irritation.

"I think you know Nara. I've seen the way you look at her sometimes. I mean shit...that whole Sand flag thing, especially when someone like you pulls that kind of stunt? Doesn't take a scholar to figure out something's there."

"It was a kind gesture sergeant, nothing more!" I was getting rather annoyed, even if it was the sergeant.

"Sure it was..." he replied with a smirk of smugness, as if he'd read me front to back in just a few minutes. A few awkward minutes passed by, neither of us uttering a word. It was funny though, my feeling for the broad was becoming more amicable as time progressed. Sure she was still bossy and troublesome, but a strange feeling kept creeping around inside me when I was around her, almost like a feeling of warmth. "_Come on Shikamaru, get your head out of your ass. You're the cynical wiseass of 3__rd__ squad, not some emotional basketcase! GOD!_" I cringed with frustration, but luckily the sergeant never saw it.

"Anyway...when are we heading into that town?"

"Well Nara, there's been no contact from anyone in the town, be it friend or foe. The captain wants to start rolling in as soon as possible. Looks like a ghost town from what I see."

"Creepy. I can't wait."

Sure enough, by the time it reached the middle of the afternoon, we were rolling on to the town. Nothing was kicking up any dirt in our immediate front so we were a little less apprehensive than expected. The Waterfall town was relatively intact, save for some bullet holes or weather damage. A chill ran up my spine as we approached the front of the town, still nothing making any noise or no one moving around. It was way too quiet, even for the Soundies.

"Jesus...Sarutobi's right. It is like a ghost town." Ino said.

"Yeah you're not kidding." Replied Choji.

Able Company set a formation in front of and around us, in case the Soundies decided to pull and ambush. If they did they'd have to answer to our armor and we'd have some extra protection. However, there wasn't a Soundie in sight. Equipment and arms were scattered everywhere. Things looked dismantled and disorganized.

"Sir, it looks like they bugged out. I don't know what it was, but maybe they got word from the hill about our strength. Perhaps they were unprepared?" Sergeant Morino said to 2LT Lee.

"Perhaps sergeant. We need to have a look around. Squad leaders, split up and scour the area. The other platoons will cover their areas. We've got the town hall, courtyard, and residential areas. Get to it! What a waste of good equipment..."

The LT was right. The Soundies had excellent ordnance and equipment at their disposal, yet they left much of it here for anyone to scavenge.

Our squad along with 4th squad was paired up to search the residential areas. There happened to be a schoolyard nearby as well. We walked slowly through the streets, kicking up debris and searching through open doors and windows, looking for some sign of life.

What sounded like small footsteps suddenly came from behind me, from a small alley.

"What the hell?" I said aloud. Sarutobi gave the signal to stop as we rushed to the walls for cover.

"What's up Shikamaru?" Hanzo asked. "You spot something?"

"I don't know. Sergeant you want me to check it out?"

Sarutobi lit a cigarette and exhaled. "Ok. Hanzo, Temari, Ino, Toyama, go with Nara. Search for ten minutes. Stay low and quiet. If you see something I want you sending a runner back to us. If it's the Soundies we'll know from any shootin'. If you get nothing come back to the main roads to the nearest rally point. Move out."

The five of us merged into the alleyways, keeping close in case shit hit the fan. The alleyways were tight and didn't allow much sunlight in. Trash and debris were strewn about, but nothing was alive.

"This is gettin' creepy Ino." Toyama said.

"Yeah you're tellin' me. I get the feeling we're bein' watched." She replied.

The faint sound of footsteps echoed again ahead of us.

"There it is again!" I whispered.

"I heard it to," said Temari. "I got a weird feeling about this though. Doesn't feel like the Soundies."

We approached a small square where all the alleys converged. Scanning all the different paths, we raised our weapons at any open space a Soundie could fire from, but still nothing emerged. A crashing sound came from the right of me and instantly all weapons were trained on what turned out to be a piece of a house crumbling off and landing on the ground.

"Nobody move." Toyama whispered. "Wait for the next sound."

The second he said that, the sound of wood creaking emitted from the building in front of him. Our eyes trained on the door leading inside. We slinked our way closer, picking up very faint whispers.

"Shhhh...quiet. Don't move a muscle."

"I'm scared."

"It's ok. Just stay still."

I signaled to the other four to get closer to the door. We weren't sure who was behind the door, but we didn't want to take any chances. I signed for Hanzo to breach while Toyama would enter.

"Wait Shikamaru." Ino whispered. "I don't think they're Soundies."

"You're probably right Ino." I backed up on my original plan. "Toyama, give them a message...anything."

"Ok. Whoever is behind this door, we are from Konohagakure and are soldiers. We mean you no harm. Come out and we can take care of you." No answer. "I repeat, we are soldiers from the Leaf Army and will not hurt you. Please come out."

Still no answer...

"Damn. Break it down Hanzo."

"Right." And with that he took his B.A.R. and smashed the door handle. The door swung wide open as Toyama, myself, Ino, and Temari poured into the dimly lit room.

"Stay where you are! Don't move!" I yelled impulsively, thinking the possibility of someone getting smart and shooting existing. I was about to yell again until I stood still, lowering my rifle slowly.

"Oh jeez..." Hanzo muttered.

"Shikamaru..." said Temari, aghast at what we saw.

We busted in on a huge group of children, frozen stiff by our sudden emergence...children for fuck's sake. Some had tears in their eyes ready to burst. Others already started. There had to be at least twenty-five or more kids in this cramped room. There were chunks of bread and small cups of water. The children looked caked with dirt and scared. I didn't know what to say. My mouth opened but I couldn't make anything come out. It was a sad sight to see.

"They're kids...just kids." Ino said, slinging her rifle.

"What are they all doing here?" Toyama asked.

"Children, children...calm down. It's ok. These people won't hurt us. They're not like the bad Sound men." A voice said from across the room. "I am Shibuki. I'm the oldest amongst us here."

"What are you doing here? Where are all the adults?" I asked.

"The Soundies took them away."

"They took our mommy and daddy!" Two little girls next to him cried. The kids started weeping again, Shibuki doing his best to calm them down.

"Where did they take them?" Hanzo asked.

"I'm not sure, but I heard rumors of a camp where they force occupied people to slave labor and possibly worse." Shibuki whispered to us. We assumed he didn't want the children to hear.

"Where would this be?" Temari asked.

"I'm not sure. When I heard the Soundies it sounded like it was north of here, but not too far. Some of us spotted the Soundies loading them up in trucks and shippin' them off somewhere months ago. The adults told us to hide and we have been ever since."

"What about the Soundies here?" I asked.

"No idea. They took off in a panic. Something must've spooked them good and I guess it was you guys. We heard fighting off in the distance."

"That was us," answered Toyama. "We were fighting on the hill. We took it from the Soundies and expected more here. Kinda surprising there's none at all."

"Like I said, they got spooked and fled here leaving all their things."

"You have to find them!" A boy screamed out to me. "Please find them Mr. Leaf soldier!"

"Don't worry little guy." Ino assured the boy. "We'll find your mommies and daddies. We promise."

I looked to Shibuki. "Come with us. We'll take care of you and let our commanders know about this."

"Thank you, thank you!" Shibuki said aloud. "We've got a few sick kids and they're very malnourished. We were afraid no one would come for us when the Soundies left, but we were also afraid to come out. We've been in hiding since all the parents went missing."

"It's ok." Hanzo assured the kid. "You're with us now. You're safe and the kids will be all right."

"SERGEANT" I yelled. "We're comin' out! We've got civilians with us." As we approached the main road, I saw Sarutobi and Isshiki at the entrance to the alley, ready to receive the kids and Shibuki.

"Keep security on the roads! Have men ready to receive the civilians and get them to the medics!" Sergeant Yamato bellowed.

The medics of 2nd, 3rd and 4th Platoon rushed in as we walked out leading the children towards the medical trucks which arrived surprisingly prompt. There the medics had some water, food rations, and other supplies messily laid out in the backs of them. Ino joined Hinata and the rest of 2nd in providing water while others gave pieces of bread and whatever else they could give up to the kids. The children in returned smiled. It must've been a long time since they weren't afraid of someone wearing a uniform.

"So what now sir?" Sergeant Yamato asked the LT.

"It's simple. We hold up here and figure out our next move. I want the medics taking care of these children. Get them blankets, medicine, food, and whatever else they need. Lucky for us, there's only this...many..." his words were cut short as even more children meandered to us, disheveled and scared, coming out of every nook and cranny in the town.

"Jesus." Choji muttered. "There must be like thirty more of them...all without parents too?"

"Yeah." I answered as I looked all around. Some looked like teenagers while others were mere infants.

"What happened here?" Sarutobi asked.

"The kid over there," I answered as I pointed to Shibuki, "said they were taken away by the Soundies, most likely to this labor camp somewhere in the north. However, this labor camp is only rumored to exist."

"Well I think it's still something we could talk to the captain about." He replied.

"He looks rather occupied right now Sarutobi," entered Mitarashi from the side. We glanced over to see our men scurrying to lead the newly discovered kids towards the center for the medics to treat.

Sasuke joined in. "The LT and Mitarashi are correct for now. These children need care and quickly. It's a good thing we came otherwise things might've gone sour."

"Good point Uchiha. The kids are the first priority. Never thought we'd have to be babysitting huh?"

Sergeant Morino chuckled. "Yeah it's one thing babysitting the privates. Now we actually gotta look after some real kids for a while until the captain makes the call."

"Think of it as good PR Morino." Sarutobi suggested.

So for the next few hours while the captain, the LTs, platoon sergeants, the first sergeant, and the oldest of the kids from the town discussed what transpired and what will be happening, the rest of us took to tending to the little ones. Naruto, Konohamaru, and Hinata were playing games with a group of what looked like elementary school kids. Choji was wowing the kids trying to show off his strength. I figured they'd never seen such a large guy like ol' Akimichi before. I also saw Kankuro reach for something out of his equipment bag as a group of toddlers and five-year-olds gathered around. They were fine-crafted marionettes, albeit slightly scuffed from the wear and tear of the war. Delicately working with the strings, they came to life fancifully dancing around and amusing the children who turned from crying to laughing and giggling. Hell even Gaara let out a faint grin. I looked at Kankuro, so easily able to make children smile. I smiled at the whole sight of it. Children...they can certainly bring the rarest of emotions out of you.

"Kankuro's doing his puppet thing again huh?" Temari asked.

"Yeah he's really good at it. Those puppets look like a master crafted them." I replied.

"A master did make them. When we were very little our elder Chiyo crafted these with her bare hands. They were of the finest trees the Sand nation could grow. She gave them to us to learn, but Kankuro really took a shine to them. Oh she would laugh and clap and his efforts and performances and he'd totally ham it up! When he got older he got better, even entertaining our mom and dad. Gaara really got a kick out of them when he was a toddler. To tell ya the truth he's always been good around kids, as surprising as it may seem." She wore a smile on her face, but not the typical smile of smugness or self-satisfaction she'd normally bear. No this was from watching her brother bring some happiness to these poor kids.

"God I really hope Captain Hatake decides to find the kids' parents." I said.

"As a guy who lost both his," Sasuke said walking up to us, "I for once agree with you Nara. Problem is the captain's in a bind. We've gotta help the Water boys but at the same time this falls on our lap. This shit ain't fair."

"You're telling me Sasuke."

"There must be some way we can offer our help. There's gotta be a way!" Ino moaned

"Not without any proof Ino. I'm sorry but unless we can get some aerial recon or something of the sort, we've got nothing to work with." I replied.

"But..."

"Nara's right Yamanaka," added Sarutobi as he approached us, "without any pictures or exact location we'll be on a wild goose chase.

She sighed. I saw the look of disappointment on Temari's face as well, but Temari knew the circumstances like I did. I gazed over at the continuing conversation between the captain and the subordinates. A look on some of the older kids' faces didn't really give me the vote of confidence that we'd attempt the rescue anytime soon. It was a hard deal for Captain Hatake. Either he rescues these people and jeopardizes the Water airborne forces, or leaves the kids with a rear element and presses on with the original mission. It was times like these that made me seriously discouraged about taking on any form of leadership.

"Hey squad leaders, get your guys together! The captain wants us to all get together at the entrance of town." Yamato yelled from across the way.

We assembled in a huddle around the captain. Able Company didn't really have much in this get-together so they just did their own thing. The sun was beginning to set, the buildings blocking the view of its descent, leaving a large patch of shade covering most of us, including the captain. The chatter hushed as he raised his arms up and began to speak.

"Now I do hope you all know why we are here. This situation that has just been presented certainly complicates matters not just for you, but for me, the first sergeant, and these children. I know what you're all thinking and I know what you all want to do, but the fact of the matter is we have a mission from higher and we cannot abandon it."

Some murmurs erupted amongst the crowd.

"Orders are orders, and with that...tomorrow morning we'll be rolling out of this town and onto the next objective. We'll leave the children with a rear detachment while the rumored camp will be sought out after our primary objective is complete."

The chatter got louder and even screams of protests emerged. The squad leaders tried to keep their men under control, but to little avail.

"That's enough Fox Company!" 1SG Guy barked. "Your captain said what needed to be done! I know it's hard, but we cannot leave our allies stranded. We have to keep moving."

"THAT'S BULLSHIT!" A voice screamed out from the crowd. I rolled my eyes, knowing exactly who it was.

"Uzumaki check your tone right now!" Sergeant Mitarashi yelled.

"You have a problem there private?" The first sergeant bellowed at him. Mitarashi immediately silenced herself.

"Yes, first sergeant, I do! How could we just abandon these kids, leaving them with a rear detachment that might take days to even get here?!? It's not the right thing!"

"It may not be the right thing, but it's what the Leaf Army has to do. These kids will be in good care."

"NOT WITH THEIR PARENTS!"

"Private Uzumaki!" The captain yelled as he finally stepped into the fray, pushing the first sergeant aside, walking up to Naruto. The rest of the guys parted like an ocean, afraid of incurring the wrath of the captain, but not Naruto. For his obvious stupidity, he made up for it in fearlessness. "Do you think I don't know that? Do you think of me as some sort of ogre? Am I here to smash these poor souls into eternal despair? I suggest you watch your mouth private and respect your superiors, lest I write you down for insubordination. I recently promoted you to Private First Class, and if the Lord can giveth and the Lord can taketh away, then I can certainly do the same!"

"Fine sir! Take it from me if you want but I say we find these parents! I never had parents as a child, sir! I never had what these children have now. I know Sergeant Uchiha feels the same way! I know some of us had fathers or mothers who died when we were little. I don't mean to usurp your authority in any way sir, but I couldn't bring myself to deny these children their wish. Their parents are probably still alive! If we wait any longer, these kids might never have parents to see again! But you, you're just going with the mission and not the people!"

Though inspiring, I didn't think it'd have much affect on the captain. I saw Ino's lips begin to tremble and then I remember when that poor, dirty boy cried for us to find their parents and Ino promised they would.

"Private I'll warn you again...know your role!" The first sergeant admonished.

"I remember when we were enlisted we were told that we'd bring joy and freedom to the oppressed...to free them from Sound tyranny. We'd smash the enemy in every rat hole they'd hide in and save every life we could from their clutches! Those kids there think we're a Godsend...that we're their salvation. This is our chance sir...our chance to live up to those claims!"

"Inspiring Private Uzumaki...it really is, but there are things that are beyond your control, and this is one of them! We're moving out tomorrow and that's final!"

"Sir," said Sasuke, "Private Uzumaki's right. We can't abandon these children! I lost mine in the Great War and I can't bear to see them lose theirs in this war."

"It's not abandoning them Sergeant Uchiha...they're gonna be with another company." replied Sergeant Yamato.

"I understand that Yamato. I'm saying these kids need their parents and we need to save these civilians. Did the Hokage not say our purpose in fighting was to free the oppressed...like Uzumaki said?"

"Yeah...he's right sir. We gotta do this." Said Sergeant Morino.

"I'm with Uchiha and Morino sir. Let's find this fucking place and give these children what they need. They need their families again." Added Sarutobi.

To be honest I was surprised to see even the squad leaders rally behind Naruto. His words must've had some impact for once when usually they'd just blow him off. Pretty soon most of the company was in agreement with Naruto. I had to hand it to the idiot...he knew how to work a crowd when the game was on the line. The calls for helping the children grew in numbers, volume, and intensity. Even Choji and Ino were yelling at the captain to change plans. A pistol shot rang out as the first sergeant held his in the air and fired once more. The crowd fell silent again.

"What the fuck is this Fox Company? Is this a mob? Since when was the captain not the final say?!? I can't believe I'm hearing this from you! I have a good mind to..."

"Guy wait..." the captain interrupted.

"What is it sir?"

"Ok Fox Company...you seem to be so dead set on helping these people. I admire that...and as much as I hate going against my word, I can see your passion and I'll talk to Colonel Jiraiya about it. If he says no though, we'll be moving out and I don't wanna hear another complaint or it's your ass. Am I understood?"

"Yes sir!" We all rang out.

"Private Uzumaki. Your words, though insubordinate, certainly inspired this company. Nevertheless I wish to talk to you in private. Meet me in one hour. Got it?" He barked to Naruto in a rather fierce tone.

"Y-yes sir." Seemed that Naruto didn't have unlimited courage.

"Get back to your duties! I'll be coming back to talk to you all again. Dismissed!" With that the company dispersed and went about their business. I hope the children didn't hear what we were talking about, but 1SG Guy's pistol and all the yelling must've made them alert nonetheless.

I walked back to one of the buildings where 3rd and 4th squads had holed themselves in. Without warning a flood of little kids swarmed Choji, Ino, Temari, and I, and chattered away.

"Mr. Leaf Soldier, Mr. Leaf Soldier! Are ya gonna get our mommies and daddies? Please tell me you are!" A little girl said as she tugged on my arm. The look on her smiling face was painful. Despite the yelling and arguing, she was still so optimistic that we'd come and give her salvation. I looked at Temari, biting my lower lip, while she sighed and glanced away. I had to be careful how to tell the little one, because I couldn't disgrace myself lying to her...and Ino...and Temari.

"Well are ya? Please Mr. Leaf Soldier!"

I let out a deep sigh. "Don't you worry sweetie. We're trying to find them as we speak. We don't know where they are right now but when we do we'll get them as soon as possible. We'll rescue your parents from those bad Sound men and get 'em home."

The children gasped in excitement. I had to admire their boundless optimism, but had I told them the actual truth of what Captain Hatake said, it'd crush them. They all started to talk amongst themselves in giddy ecstasy as they ran off to go pester Kiba and Shino who I saw in the distance. Seems the kids were making their rounds on all of Fox Company. I looked over to Temari, who gave me a nod of approval. She put her hand on my shoulder as I turned to her, still feeling upset about not being truthful with the kids.

"You said the right thing Shikamaru. It'd break their hearts to tell them what your captain said. You're at the very least giving them some hope."

"And besides Shikamaru, thanks to Naruto, we might still actually be able to get them and you can stay true to your word."

"I appreciate the vote of confidence Choji, but I'm not sure if Captain Hatake can be convinced so easily. I can't remember the last time a private ever convinced a captain to change course. And remember guys this is Naruto we're talking about. I know you haven't known the little imp as long as we have Temari but you can tell already the kind of person he is."

"No need to elaborate any further with me Shikamaru." She said.

"Excellent."

"Come on Shikamaru, you're letting this get to your head. A nice hot plate of chow and a place to park your ass and rest are just what the doc ordered for you!" Choji added in an attempt to comfort me. I was grateful for his effort, since seeing me so distraught over a choice was a rarity. Maybe Sarutobi was right after all...

"Hey! Are you listening?" Ino barked, snapping me back to reality as I almost stared off into space.

"Oh...sorry. Yeah sure Choji. Some chow sounds fine to me."

And indeed it was quite wise of Choji to suggest such a thing. A full stomach definitely made the mood a little lighter. I could see it was a feast of kings for the little ones who stuffed their faces with the barbequed pork, rice, bread, and whatever else they could get their paws on. Tenten was offering some chocolate to two of them who took it gleefully.

"I bet that's the first time someone's given them chocolate in a while eh?" Kankuro asked her as he walked over to our little gathering.

"Well...I figured it'd be a treat for the kids." She replied. "You must be...Kankuro right?"

"In the flesh." He answered, giving a playful bow of respect. She snickered.

"Ah yes, the fellas from 4th told me about you. I'm Tenten. You're quite a good shot with that stove pipe Panzerschrek of yours...just don't try to upstage me all right there cowboy?"

"I'm already on center stage sister. It'd be wise to try an' catch up. I don't know if they guys told you, but today..."

"Yeah I heard about that bull's eye on the Panzer...lucky shot." She huffed.

"No luck here missy...all skill." He boasted.

"Sure." She got up holding her empty plate and proceeded to the nearest trash bin. Dusting herself off, Tenten turned to Kankuro. "I'll be keeping my eye on you hotshot. I'm the big, bad armor killer of this platoon and don't you forget it!" She warned making a pistol shooting gesture with her hand.

"Oh I won't...don't you forget it!" He replied doing the same gesture. Neji was there, glaring at Kankuro but then just shrugging his shoulders and walking off.

"Well that was interesting..." I whispered to Choji and Ino, who chuckled in return. I'm sure glad Temari didn't hear that, lest she get embarrassed or pissed and hit me.

"What a blowhard!" Temari huffed, irritated from Kankuro's antics. "Why's he gotta be so cocksure...it's like he's being a little kid all over again!"

"Let him have his fun Temari. Besides, Tenten could use the attention. After all, Corporal Hyuga over there doesn't look like he's giving enough."

"Wait what's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." I playfully grinned.

"You're a real ass sometimes Shikamaru...you know that?" She replied as she slid a little closer to me. During the move, her hand rested itself on top of mine. We both looked down for a second, then at each other, and retracted both our hands. I must say I don't blush often but that was one time when it was for real.

"_Damn it Shikamaru...there's that feeling again! Focus! Focus! No troublesome broads for you...ever!"_

A familiar figure sauntered his way through, but pale as if he had seen a ghost.

"Naruto...good Lord! You look like the living dead!" Ayako yelled out.

"As it turns out, standing up to the captain isn't such a great idea after all. I think I got through to him, but man did he tear my ass a new one...believe it!" For the first time I'll actually take his stupid catchphrase to heart on this one.

"Well here, take some food...you look like you need it." Choji offered one of his plates to the disheveled Naruto.

"Thanks."

"So how went the death sentence buddy?" I asked in anticipation of hearing Naruto being put through the ringer. I know it was sadistic, but all the sap I've been going through I needed a little reminder of who I am.

"Please don't remind me. First Sergeant smoked me somethin' fierce while the captain just berated me verbally. Having yourself in the pushup position with the first sergeant's foot on your back also didn't help matters."

"At least it wasn't up your ass Naruto!" Choji joked, causing a roar of laughter to emerge amongst the crowd. Even a toddler could tell the look of shame on his face.

"_Ah Naruto, it's always great to have you get a laugh out of all of us...at your expense._"

"Are y-you ok N-Naruto?" Hinata asked, placing her hand on his shoulder. "I th-thought that was brave what you did, f-for those kids."

"Aw thanks Hinata. At least you don't laugh at me even if I am a wreck." He replied, kissing her on the forehead. She blushed. "C'mon, let's go somewhere else and eat. Whaddaya say Hinata?"

"Ok."

The two took off to get some privacy...and for Naruto to fill his gullet. Choji and Ino got up as well.

"Where're you guys going?" I asked.

"Oh us? We're just gonna go check on some things. Hanzo needed some help moving ammo boxes and some supplies and I figured we'd be more than able to do it. Besides..." he answered as he leaned over to my left ear and whispered, "I figured like Naruto and Hinata you two could use some alone time as well. Huh? Huh?"

I whispered in his ear. "You're not just my best friend, but a colossal asshole as well. How do ya do it?"

"Glad to be of service my man! Now you kids get along while Auntie Ino and I go off and do adult things. Later you two..."

"Pain in my ass..." I muttered.

"So...here we are again Shikamaru. Seems like everyone likes to take off when we're around."

"You make it sound like a bad thing Temari."

She laughed. "I never said it was Shikamaru. I could see why you're a cynical, lazy crybaby. With friends like those guys, who needs enemies?"

"You may be troublesome but when you're right, you are right."

"Well now all we do is wait I guess."

"Yep."

The hours passed by as the stars came. The fire began to die down a little bit, but luckily some nearby wood fixed that issue. Temari and I continued to absorb the warmth and light the blaze provided, content with our meal and our situation. Suddenly she looked at me and opened her mouth.

"You know, I really did think you were somewhat of a selfish ass most of the time Shikamaru..."

"Please continue you're flattering me..." I interrupted.

"Hush. Anyway I though that was the case, but seeing the way you're handling this situation, how you comforted those kids, and how you are with your friends, I might be wrong."

"Really? I was about to say the same thing about you. I thought you'd be this bossy broad who'd cramp my style, but turns out you're not so bad after all Temari."

"That's one of the nicest thing I've heard from you since we've met."

"Treat it like gold because stuff like that doesn't show up very often."

"Ha. I've already stored that one in the mental bank."

"Well...here we are again, just two kids sittin' by a fire chatting away while a war's goin' on. It's the damnedest thing ain't it?"

"Yeah it sure is. I wonder how we'll pass the time until your sergeant comes...any ideas?"

"Um no I can't think of any."

"Really? I think I can..." She softly said as she bumped her way closer to me, sliding her collar off to reveal one of her shoulders.

"Um Temari what're you doin'?" I asked, rather shocked by her behavior.

"Oh nothing. Can't a couple of lonely snipers have some quality time to themselves?" She answered as she came even closer, her face along up to mine.

"Temari?"

"Just relax Shikamaru." She took her hand and glided it one the side of my face. Even the coolest of heads would have a hard time not sweating from this. "This is for what you did back on the hill. A token of my...appreciation." She came even closer to my face and readied her lips.

"_Oh shit Shikamaru...what're ya gonna do now? This is some weird shit...think! Think! Happy thoughts! Happy thoughts!_" The mental frustration was going on overload in my head. Suddenly I felt calm though, like my mind just snapped, but in a relaxing, good way. "_Fuck it...might as well go with the flow eh man?_" I leaned to her as well, ready for the first kiss I'd ever get from a woman that wasn't my mom. We were almost about to make contact, when suddenly she stopped, her eyes widened.

"Oh my God! Shikamaru...were you just trying to kiss me? I can't believe you!"

"Wait what? You were...I mean I was...and you...I mean...YOU!"

"Ha ha ha ha ha! I can't believe it! I made you blush! Tee hee hee!" She giggled like a school girl.

"YOU TROUBLESOME WOMAN!"

"I fooled the crybaby! I fooled the crybaby!" She said mocking my apparent embarrassment, sticking her tongue out at me as if she was ten all over again.

"GAH! That's not funny Temari!"

"Hell yes it is!"

"This is exactly why I can't stand women! You're all so devious and troublesome!" My embarrassment only reinforced my anger towards her, but despite all the rage I felt, the smile on her face softened my mood up a little bit.

"Oh relax Shikamaru. Can't a girl play a joke on her new friend? Besides, if we women weren't so 'devious and troublesome' as you said then where would the fun be huh?"

I snickered. "You're too much Temari, and I've only known you for a little bit."

"What kind of woman would I be if I wasn't too much?" She replied with another snicker as she stepped forward and gave me a peck on the cheek. "I'm off to see my brothers. Later Shikamaru..." And with that, she skipped off, leaving me to myself, standing in front of the fire trying to get a grasp on what the hell just happened. That woman...that troublesome woman...I knew she'd be trouble from Day 1. Certainly not fun when a broad fucks with your head like that. Sometimes I envy Naruto. Having a girl like Hinata would be a Godsend given the fact she so not troublesome and doesn't screw with your mind like some other women I know. Figures I have to have the curse of having a life dominated by women. I pity myself and my poor sucker of a father Shikaku every day. It took me a while but now I can understand his profuse drinking of sake and beer. Temari and my ma should get together. They'd be like soul mates.

It was getting late and the battle, though hours ago, still tired me out. I sauntered over to where my kit was and laid out the mat and blanket. Hanzo and Isshiki were already out. Sure it wasn't back home but being back in a building beat the hell out of the woods any day of the week. I was ready to lay down, realizing that in the room there were about seven little kids sleeping like babies, a little blonde girl, no older than four, wandered over to me.

"Mr. Leaf Man, I'm thirsty."

"Aw it's ok sweetie. Here have a sip from my canteen." I unscrewed the cap and poured a little bit into it. I gave it to her and she smiled, the cool water refreshing her.

"Thank you Mr. Leaf Man." She muttered in perhaps the cutest voice I've ever heard. She then walked over and gave me a hug, yawning while I picked her up.

"You go to sleep little girl, and don't worry. Your mommy and daddy will be back before you know it." She was already asleep by the time I found a small sofa for her to sleep on. I carefully laid her down and put the blanket which we donated back on her. She shuffled around for a second, but then was out like a light. Made me wonder for a second what I'd be like as a father with my own daughter. I hope mine turns out as cute as her. I saw a shadow by the doorway.

"Who's there?" I asked aloud. No answer. I walked out and looked from side to side, only to see no one in sight. "_Must've been my imagination...well time for sleep Nara. After that taxing affair with that broad, you need it._" I rested on my side, facing the little girl, who looked as content as ever. I smiled again before I closed my eyes and let the sweet embrace of sleep take over once more.

"Nara! Hey Nara wake up!"

"Huh? What's going on Isshiki?" My eyes were still a little cloudy, but I could tell it was daylight already. A small beam of sunlight shone right in my face, nearly blinding me.

"Sergeant Sarutobi wants us front and center by the front gate of the town pronto!"

"Shit...no rest for the weary eh Isshiki?"

"Never for us devils in 3rd squad Nara."

I set my kit back up and ran like hell to where Fox Company was assembling. Everyone was there, eager to hear what the captain had to say. As compared to last night, the company was rather quiet in anticipation. The first sergeant and the captain walked in the middle of our assembly area. It looked like the captain was gathering his thoughts, but after a few seconds of deep breaths, he was ready to go.

"Fox Company! I hate to deprive you of some extra shuteye, but I have some news for you. I spoke with Colonels Jiraiya and Tsunade about our situation, and they had authorized an extra reconnaissance flight of the area along with our normal Air Corps flights. Guess what they found?"

No one answered as was expected since you never stole the captain's thunder.

"That slave labor camp? It's there all right. It's located about fifty kilometers ahead of this town and about twenty kilometers east of our current position. Those Soundie bastards have been taking people out of these villages and subjecting them to cruel torture and horrendous labor, people like the parents of these children. I heard even the Hokage was told of this place, and he made it top priority to do whatever it takes to save people from the yoke of Orochimaru's tyranny."

I saw Naruto crack a wide smile on his face. Looks like the little devil got through to Captain Hatake. It amazed me how he had that strange ability to influence people you'd never expect.

"Guess what were doing Fox Company?" First Sergeant Guy

A loud cheer erupted.

"LET'S KICK SOME SOUND ASS AND FREE THOSE PEOPLE!" The captain yelled.

Never was Fox Company so loud, never were we so excited for a mission. I cheered along with Choji, Ino, and yes even Temari, though forgiving her for her little prank would take a little time. Troublesome woman...she's too much. She smiled at me and I caved in and grinned at her back. I then turned towards a small gaggle of children, obviously excited by the loud noises. I saw the little blonde girl, the same one I gave water to and comforted last night.

"_Don't worry sweetie. Your mommy and daddy will be back before you know it. Our captain made his choice, and it was the right one._"


	12. Chapter 12

To be perfectly honest, I was quite surprised how quickly it took the brass to get the resources necessary to find the camp that kid Shibuki was harping about. I guess Sarutobi was right. A good PR mission is a good PR mission, and Lord knows the commanders of the Leaf Army need to look nice and shiny with operations like these while guys like me an' Naruto an' Choji slug it out in the dirt. Wonderful. As cynical as I could've been about something like this, I nevertheless still took some satisfaction in what we were about to do and why we were going to raid the camp.

A little while ago the captain had already gone over what the details were for the plan. The action would require a small task force of two platoons. 4th Platoon volunteered and much to my chagrin our oh so eager LT raised his hand in his never-ending quest for glory. To my relief Captain Hatake did say we'd be assisted by an attachment of special forces. He said they'd be of the illustrious ANBU Ranger Battalion. We heard of these guys...the Billy Badasses of the Leaf Army. No one fucked with these guys or else they'd rue the day they ever crossed them. I myself wasn't completely sold on their reputation since I've never seen them in action. I sat on one of the doorsteps in the myriad of buildings, inspecting and cleaning my rifle. This mission meant precision and I had to be as precise as possible. I knew I could nail just about anything, but given the civilian considerations I knew care was an absolute priority.

"Hey Shikamaru! I heard the ANBU Rangers are comin' to help us!" Naruto yelled from across the street.

"Yeah I know. Never saw 'em in action though...but I've heard things."

"Well Iruka told me this one time how they stormed a Soundie stronghold to knock out artillery batteries in the Land of Lightning by scaling the cliffs under enemy fire. It was even before our own invasion at some place called the Point of Thunder. Supposedly they found the guns to be fakes but they stormed through the nearby bunkers and towns and fought off the Soundies and destroyed the actual batteries. I mean...those are some bad motherfuckers!"

"Bad motherfuckers indeed."

"Hey hey guys!" Choji came in with from the side. "How goes the preparations?"

"Slow and painful buddy."

"Good to see you in joyous spirits Shikamaru. Oh by the way...how was last night lover boy?"

"What?"

"Oh yes...don't think we didn't hear about your escapades with that fiery Sand girl." He said as he grabbed my head and shook me around, which I also didn't like.

"Scandalous!" Naruto cried out so that almost everyone heard.

"Traitorous assholes..." I muttered to both of them. "Don't you two have anything better to do?" I continued to dust off my scope and rifle, doing my best to ignore their jeering.

"As a matter of fact," Sarutobi sided, saving me like the fucking Angel of Mercy, "there are better things to do. Akimichi, ass down and mouth shut. Uzumaki, scram."

"Later guys..." Naruto said as he booked it out of Sarutobi's wrath. As much as the sergeant can be annoying with his personal pep talks, he comes in the clutch when I need him.

"So what's up sergeant?" Choji asked.

"Well given the recent turn of events the platoon has double-timed it with everything. We only have some daylight hours to burn as the LT comes up with the plan. I knew he'd volunteer us for the mission so I already had made plans for how to best utilize our squad. We'll be having an operations order meeting in thirty minutes by the central courtyard, so don't be late."

"Roger that."

"How's Isshiki sergeant?" I asked, remembering the nasty little wound he got from that Soundie bayonet.

"He's still all right. His arm hurts a little but he's still fit to fight. Anyway I've gotta rendezvous with the other squad leaders. Find Ino, Hanzo, and Temari since I've already talked to everyone else. Get to it."

"Yes sergeant."

He turned and faded back into the throng of soldiers.

"Well then I guess we're off Shikamaru? Nothing quite like the hide and go seek game before a deadline huh?"

"Yeah...tons of fun."

Making our way through the crowd and trying to find two annoying blondes and a guy that looks like everyone else was never really my cup of tea, but rather than try and endure a beating from Sarutobi I begrudgingly set off with my large companion to find them. To my good fortune I found a lead already in the first five minutes, Temari's brother Kankuro. The abandoned Soundie equipment must've served him well considering how he was fit with all new ammunition and gear.

"Hey Shikamaru! How goes it?" He said with a hearty smile and a hard pat on the shoulder.

"All fine and dandy, but now I'm trying to find your bellicose sister."

"Ouch that's a little harsh considering she's my sister, but you make a good point. Ha." He laughed. "Anyway, last time I checked she was talking amongst the girls of your platoon, most likely near the medic section. They're probably gabbing it up and doing all the things women like and we loathe."

"A man after my own heart Kankuro."

"That's what I'm here for."

"Well at least I have a start. Thanks for the info. You should get with 4th now. Knowing Sergeant Mitarashi, she's probably harping about getting ready and will pound anyone not doing so, even if you're not even in our army."

"Wouldn't hurt a guy like me...I'm too smooth. Oh and if you run into that Tenten lady, tell her I said it's on."

"What does that mean?"

"She'll know."

"Ok then I'll relay the message. I'm sure she'll enjoy it." I replied. "_Yeah whatever it means..._"

Some moments later we sauntered over to the medics' area. Scattered all around were more little kids, eyeballing the chocolate or just eager to play with us some more. Little did they realize now it was serious business for us adults trying to get their parents freed. 1st squad's medic was already loading supplies up on one of the halftracks, no doubt one that might be used to evacuate the prisoners.

"Say doc you haven't seen Yamanaka or the Sand girl have you?" I asked.

"Well they were just here a minute ago. Shit...they might've gone down to the nearby stream."

"What the hell for?"

"To powder their noses Nara...no for water dipshit! Aren't we dense today?"

"That's cute doc...later." We walked out of earshot of the medic. "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph...medics are more trouble than they're worth sometimes. These two broads are just as bad. Can't believe I'm wasting my time trying to find them. Pains in my ass I tell ya!"

"Relax Shikamaru...you're way too hard on them sometimes."

"I'll be nicer when they're smarter and that's my policy."

"That's one helluva hard-line policy there pal."

"That's how we Naras roll Choji, stern but fair, hard but gentle, fast but patient at some times."

"A walking contradiction...how poetic of you Shikamaru."

"You flatter me."

We managed to spot those troublesome broads filling up water jugs at the nearby stream, just like the 1st squad medic said. At least somebody had good intelligence on their whereabouts. Knowing the unpredictability of the animal known as the blonde female, I had to be tactful and diplomatic.

"Hey you two! Where the hell have you two been? I've been looking all around for your troublesome butts!" Well so much for tact and diplomacy. Smooth Nara...real smooth. At that very moment Ino turned with the look of murder in her eyes. Choji grimaced with fear and tried to make himself look as innocent as he humanly could.

"Excuse me?!?" she blasted. "What in the hell do you mean by that Mr. Smartass?"

"Sarutobi wants us in the courtyard ASAP for a squad operations order...that's what I mean!" I retorted just as sharply. "Quit lollygagging and let's move! You're always so troublesome with me ya know that?"

She was about to erupt, but Temari stuck her arm out to stop her. I was surprised to see such a thing. Maybe that troublesome woman was worth something after all. "Ino...I'll handle this." She then slowly walked up to me with a threatening look and Choji backed away a few feet. "_Thanks Choji. Always there when I need backup. Pansy._"

"Now now Shikamaru, there's no need to be in a temper tantrum about this is there?"

"No."

"Tell me you're not a lazy crybaby like everyone says you are."

"No I'm not a lazy crybaby. I'm sorry Ino." I muttered.

"Good then. Let's go Ino...and Shikamaru?"

"Yeah?" I asked only to feel a hard pain downstairs as if someone had taken a hammer to my nether region. I coughed furiously from it. Hell, I almost vomited. "YOU...DEVIL WOMAN! You don't...knee a guy...down there! That's not...right!"

"Neither is yelling at a couple of poor gals like us. Apology accepted and I hope you learned your lesson." She smugly replied watching me writhe in pain on the ground. Ino had a shit-eating grin on her face that I just wanted to rip off ever so murderously. What sadists those two are...

"HA! Temari I owe you big time for that. Hey Choji..."

"Um, yeah Ino?" He asked, somewhat afraid of the two blonde harpies, one of whom just viciously attacked his best friend, would do to him next out of guilt by association.

"You mind carrying some of these jugs? They're really heavy and I figured a strong guy like you could help, unlike some other lazy sum'bitch I know."

"Um...sure Ino."

"Thanks...you're the best."

"Screw you Ino!" I yelled.

"You guys hear that? I thought I heard more bitching but it could be my imagination." Ino and Choji lugged what they could as Temari stopped for a second, came back over, and knelt down.

"C'mon Shikamaru...it wasn't that bad was it?" She asked me, gently rubbing her hand on my shoulder as I struggled to get up.

"How about I try it on you?" It was all I could say.

"Would it help to say I regret nailing you in the crotch so hard?"

"Not really...just go and let me wallow in my misery."

"Always the drama queen Shikamaru." She muttered as she grabbed the last water jugs. That devil woman. How could she do that to me? "You're fun Shikamaru ya know that? I'm gonna enjoy this partnership even more!"

"That is if you don't kill me out of fun first you troublesome woman you!"

"Walk it off and drink some water champ...you'll feel better." She left as I managed to get up, the dull ache still debilitating me. At least none of the other guys from the squad or someone like Naruto, Kiba, or Shino were there to see that slice of humiliation. It was the only thing that gave me some relief. To my astonishment, no one has ever been so bold as to go for a straight shot to the jewels. Too bad that stream was only a foot deep otherwise I'd have stuck my whole body in there in a desperate attempt to ease the pain. "_Jesus Temari...did ya have to be so rough? First you play with my mind and now you physically abuse me!_"

The pain subsided after about ten minutes of slow, circular walking accompanied by heavy, Lamaze-style breathing. Yeah that's how bad it was. Suddenly my senses came to me, holy shit! I was gonna be late for Sarutobi's meeting! Doing my best to ignore the ever-present aches, I hustled as quickly as possible to the courtyard, where everyone was there, even Hanzo who I forgot completely about.

"Ah Shikamaru, so good of you to join us!" Temari exclaimed with a self-satisfied grin. What a witch.

"Yes Nara, could you explain what took you so long?" Sarutobi asked with his arms crossed, obviously peeved by my tardiness.

"Would you believe me if I told ya sergeant?"

"Most likely not, but I'll listen in on it later. Now it's time for business."

"So what's goin' on sergeant?" Toyama asked.

"Here's the deal. We have two squads of ANBU Rangers meeting us at the rally point. They camped themselves in a concealed location away from most Soundie activity and managed to get some intelligence on what we're up against. Now the rally point will be about five kilometers away from the camp position. We'll be taking some M3 halftracks given the terrain and the low profile we have to keep. Those vehicles surprisingly enough are quite adept at sneaking around. Able Company can only escort us for halfway but then need to get with King Company anyway. Roving patrols are present at the perimeter of the camp but are of light infantry. Guard towers cover the front and rear gates and are each most likely armed with an MG42 or high-caliber rifle. The camp is not as heavily armed as we feared, but they're not taking any chances. A few towers are also placed near where we believe are the prisoner barracks...so clearing the front or rear towers don't get us out of the woods."

"So what's the plan then?" Ino asked.

"Well Yamanaka if you'd let me finish..." He retorted. Thank God he was always there to keep people like Ino in check. "Anyway, we got one of the Air Corps' Thunderbolts to do a couple of strafing runs along the troop garrisons. That should distract them for us to strike. Now the LT has us positioned along the front gate while on half of 4th Platoon attacks from the rear. An ANBU squad will be with us and one with 4th. Their job is to take out any significant armor threats and help us escort the prisoners out. We'll use the cover of darkness to slip right near them and take cover behind the natural dip around the perimeter. After the strafing run and when the LT gives the signal, our squad along with 2nd be tasked with the initial breach. Temari, Nara, and Akimichi will clear the towers first, clearing the way for Hanzo, Toyama and some of the guys from 2nd to breach the gate. Corporals Haruno and Sai were gracious enough to donate a satchel charge to bust the gate open. Now when this happens all hell will break loose, but if timed correctly, 4th Platoon will make their move after we do, keeping the enemy at bay on that side as well. Overwhelming surprise is the key here. We can't afford any mistakes, so once we spot out the garrison buildings we riddle them so full of holes not even the mice will live through it. Nara and Temari will be responsible for clearing the inside towers to cover our assault, 3rd and 4th squads will be responsible for rescuing the prisoners and escorting them to the trucks, where Ino and the other medics will load them on. The ANBU guys and our anti-armor assets like Private Tenten and Kankuro will neutralize vehicles inside the camp in case the Soundies try to attack or make a break for it. The other half of 4th, in case anyone wondered, will be covering the roads due to the fact we'll be deep in enemy territory. Their job will be to hamper any reinforcement effort the Soundies might try to attempt. There aren't any extremely close Soundie camps near the compound so we're fortunate there. The LT will be last person to leave the camp once everyone has been taken out and loaded for extraction. We'll know that he's the last one out when we see a green star cluster flare that he'll light personally. Afterwards we pray to God we get out in time and get back to the town. If we're good with this we shouldn't be tailed since we already own that town and X-Ray Battery will be ready to pound any pursuers into oblivion. I know it's not the most detailed plan, but for something that fell on our laps so quickly it's what they came up with, especially when we have the Water forces to reinforce right afterwards. Any questions?"

"Yeah sergeant, I hate to be a pessimist, but what're the odds of this going smoothly?" Isshiki asked and I couldn't blame him for asking.

"To be honest I have no idea. We're deep in Sound-occupied land so even getting there will be an issue. My only hope is that the ANBU guys and the Air Corps keep their end of the bargain."

"What about those too weak to walk sergeant?" Ino asked.

"Then we'll signal you, Hyuga, or any other doctors to help us carry them out. We'll make sure you're covered though. If we truly need you we'll perforate anything that doesn't look like a prisoner or on our side. The last thing I want is you hurt Yamanaka."

"Sergeant," Choji said as he raised his hand, "what about the trucks for the prisoners? Who's gonna escort them to the camp?"

"Good question. From what I can understand Captain Umino of Able said he'd personally escort the trucks along with a couple other tanks as a separate detachment from the rest of Able Company. Afterwards the trucks will follow our lead but stay within the rally point that the ANBU Rangers have set up. God willing they'll be concealed from any observation until we truly need them."

"Also, why can't the ANBU Rangers do this themselves?" Hanzo pondered. "I mean they were able to do what they did at the Point of Thunder, so this should be a cakewalk for 'em."

"Well Hanzo I can agree with you somewhat but the more people we have the less chance they'll be stranded and be hunted down. Also we have sufficient transportation for the prisoners while the ANBU doesn't. And lastly, you can thank Nara and Akimichi's good pal Uzumaki for convincing Lt. Lee and the rest to do their part in this."

"Ok sergeant, understood."

"We have until 5PM to prepare. The platoon rehearsals will be in thirty minutes so get ready. Afterwards they'll be a last pre-combat inspection by me and we'll load up on the tracks and be ready to roll. Remember guys, there are now civilians in the mix, so be careful and aim true. We don't want any prisoners getting nailed from friendly fire and we can't slip this up. If you thought it was game time before, oh hell is it game time now! We can't redo this mission if we screw up, so everyone's gotta know what to do and when to do it. I'm confident you'll do just fine and liberate those poor people from the Soundie fucks." Leave it to the sergeant to end it on a chipper note. "Let's get to it!"

"Temari..." I said as I approached her. "If what you did screws with my sniper mojo and all that, there will be hell to pay."

"Ooooh hell to pay Shikamaru? I like the sounds of that! That's the Shikamaru Nara I like to hear!" She replied as she bit her lip and smiled at me devilishly. I swear to God I cannot understand her.

"You are impossible woman..."

The platoon rehearsals were, as expected, a gigantic but necessary pain in the ass. Turns out the first sergeant was going to accompany us and the LT, which also made things that much more enjoyable knowing the zealous nature of First Sergeant Guy and the effect it has on 2LT Lee. It seemed too simple. Temari and I would take out any guards in the towers, cueing the rest to unload on the other guards and the buildings. I almost pitied the poor saps in that compound, but then again when you abduct people from their families and do things that would give some men nightmares, you deserve some comeuppance. I just hoped that we weren't gonna get made and then it would really become a battle, one I might not come out of alive. The training was a little awkward considering the awful thing that woman did to me and the fact I had to cooperate with her. She bore that grin that made me filled with loathing but even then I couldn't stay 100 furious with her. We had gone through three hours of rehearsal already when the LT said we could take a half-hour break. I wanted to speak to Temari, but I noticed her walking down to the stream with her two brothers. I followed.

"Hey Shikamaru, where're ya..."

"Shhhhhh." I quietly said hushing Choji. He understood and let me be on my way.

They never saw me follow them but I dared not get any closer than a comfortable distance where I could hear them but they couldn't see me. It almost shamed me to be having to spy on that troublesome blonde but for some reason she keeps bringing out a whole new me, and I had to get some info out of her without trying to pry it out myself. Oh how low could I go...spying on some broad Shikamaru? I parked myself at behind an outlying wall near the stream as they sat down. To my fortune Kankuro was already being loud enough for me to hear.

"So Kankuro, what did ya wanna talk about?" Temari asked.

"I was just thinking guys...about how far we've gone so far, but yet we never thought about what might happen. I'm actually a little worried."

"You are worried? Kankuro the blowhard is worried?" She barked.

"I know it's surprising but I am. I mean we've made it this far thanks to luck and our wits. I wasn't for it at first, but Baki's decision to have us stay with these Leaf guys turned out to be a good one. Nevertheless..." he sighed, "I'm still pondering. I mean, what if something happens to one of us Temari? What if something happens to me?"

This was strange. Since I've met Kankuro he has seemed to cool, confident, and funny. Seeing him like this was unsettling.

"I think you're getting all riled up for nothing brother." Temari calmly replied. "Yes this raid will be risky but think of what we're doing. Our dad would be proud to see us doing this."

"Yeah, but I just don't want to leave you guys prematurely. I'm worried about you two more than I am myself."

I didn't hear Gaara say much. I heard some incoherent mumbling but that was about it.

"Listen Temari, I just want you two to be all right in case something happens to me."

"And nothing will..."

"I appreciate your confidence Gaara, but I want you, like Temari, to be ok in case something did happen to me or Temari. I know you're a strong guy and you'll be just fine."

"Where did this string of nervousness come from all of a sudden?" Temari asked.

"I don't know. It's just a weird feeling in my bones...that something bad is gonna happen. I know we're with the Leaf soldiers and that makes me feel somewhat safer, but also somewhat more afraid at the same time."

"Oh man...maybe Shikamaru was right. This is troublesome..." Temari muttered. I was surprised a little bit of me rubbed off on her.

"Speaking of whom, I wonder what your deal is with that guy. I want him to take good care of you should something bad happen." Kankuro said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked sharply, almost shocked by his statement.

"Oh please Temari. You're smart as hell, the smartest of the three of us, but you can't always fool me."

"_What is this?_" I asked myself, my heart slightly picking up in its rhythm.

"Seriously Temari, I've seen the way you look at him since we first met the Leaf Army. I see the way you look at him now. You have feelings for that sniper don't you? I mean, it doesn't take a scholar to figure out that something's there."

"_That's exactly what Sarutobi said!_"

"There's nothing there. We're just partners and that's it. Besides, he's a lazy crybaby and he thinks I'm a bossy, troublesome woman and I'm content with just that."

"Sure Temari. Yeah nothing was there when you got all warm and fuzzy when he made that Sand flag on the hill or when he cleaned your wounds. Yep you definitely got nothing for him. Besides, I think he's a standup guy. I think he means well and he brings out a side of you that's not the typical bossy, dominating Temari we grew up with."

She laughed. "I hate it when you force things out of me like that. You're an asshole sometimes Kankuro."

"I wouldn't be your brother if I wasn't."

She chuckled again. "Although it worries me to see you so concerned Kankuro, there's nothing to worry about. We've got each other and not even the fates will get in our way."

"And Shikamaru..."

"KANKURO!"

He laughed as she punched him in the arm. A deep shade of red came over her face.

"Ok dimwit, how about we get ready to rescue these poor people?"

"I'll drink to that. God I hope this works out..."

"It will." She replied. "C'mon, it's almost game time and we've gotta get everything set up."

"Hey one more thing Temari."

"Yeah what?"

"I think you should say you're sorry to Shikamaru for that blow in front of his best friend. A hit like that can really hurt a man's pride."

"Is that coming from experience brother?"

"Let's just say I know how we guys operate when it comes to dealing with ladies."

"I'll consider it..."

The three of them got up and quickly I got as low as possible behind the outlying wall. They passed me all being none the wiser. Temari turned for a second.

"Hey did you guys hear something?"

"No."

"Must've been my imagination. Ok then."

"_Wow. That was interesting. Does she really have feelings for me or was Kankuro just yanking her chain? I mean seriously...that troublesome broad...attracted to me?!?_" My brain was overloading at the sheer thought of it. "_If she does she's got a fucked up way of showing it. Oh man this is troublesome...I don't get that girl one bit. First we argue, then we shake hands, then we become partners, then friends, then we save each others lives, then she seduces me in a ruse, then she knees me in the crotch for being mean to Ino, and now she might actually have feelings for me? What have you gotten yourself into Shikamaru?_"

"Stuck on something Shikamaru?"

"JESUS!" I yelled as I jumped forward and spun around. "Naruto you scared seven shades of shit outta me! Don't do that!"

He started laughing. "Were you spying on your girlfriend?"

"She's not my fucking girlfriend! How many people do I have to tell that to?"

"Sure buddy. I think she likes you and you like her."

"This of course is coming from the same person who realized after near ten years of obliviousness that the girl for him was right under his nose and it took a near-comatose experience to realize it."

"Touché."

"Yeah I thought so."

"Well you two have already been quite the talk of the platoon. And that dame Temari, oh man Shikamaru, you've got yourself one hell of a gal. She's deadly with a rifle and deadly to your naughty bits to ha ha ha!"

"Shit you heard about that huh?"

"Choji told only me but I'm sure Ino blabbed about it to someone else. Still feeling the pain?"

"No thank God, but please don't remind me of it."

"Well come on then Romeo...we've got work to do. It's almost time for us to roll out."

We got back to the staging areas where everyone was already loading up. Choji, Hanzo, Toyama, and the rest were loading up on 4th squad's truck.

"Wow we better get to it then before we get yelled at huh?" I suggested

"Hey Shikamaru hold on one moment." Naruto said as he walked over to 2nd squad's truck. After talking to Shino he found Hinata in the medical truck behind. I walked over to accompany him.

"Hinata." He said sneaking up behind her.

"Oh Naruto...g-good luck out th-there. I'll be w-waiting for you with the people. I know you can do it." Her stuttering wasn't as strong as it normally was. It must've been Naruto's presence or something.

"Don't you worry about a thing Hinata. I'll be there in one piece as I always do. It'd be a damn shame to disappoint a girl like you." He confidently replied, kissing her on the lips. "Here I want you to have this." He dug into his shirt and pulled out a necklace. Attached to the string was a small crystalline amulet, slender in shape but beautiful and shiny nonetheless.

"Wha-what is this Naruto?"

"It's a necklace...my lucky necklace. Iruka told me that it was from my mom when I was a baby. I reckon it's kept me lucky so far, meeting Shikamaru and Choji as friends, gettin' into this Army, surviving that attack on the StuG, you saving me and me realizing that you loved me all along. Yep I've been lucky all right, and now I want you to have it."

"I couldn't take th-this from you Naruto."

"Nonsense Hinata. It brought me luck finding you, now I want to give it to you."

She paused, then took it from the palm of his hand. Holding it out, Naruto helped place it over her head and around her neck. She blushed and smiled. "Thank you Naruto."

"Ah don't mention it Hinata. And don't worry...I'll be safe. I promise." He brushed her hair gently with his hand.

"Be safe Naruto. I love you."

"I love you too Hinata."

The two kissed for a bit as I looked away. As I walked back to my truck, Naruto caught up with me.

"Oh shit it's almost time isn't it?"

"What you haven't checked your watch Naruto? It's already 4 o'clock! We're loading and moving out in one hour!"

"Shit...then I'm off. I'll see you at the rally point Shikamaru! Good luck!"

"Yeah...same to you! _We're gonna need it..._"

"C'mon Nara! Get your ass in gear and hop on! Don't wanna be left here babysitting again do ya?" Sarutobi jeered from across the way as I scrambled to get to the squad truck. I hoisted myself up with surprising dexterity, grabbing a seat right next to Isshiki. Just my luck though as Temari sat right across from me. I did my best to avoid direct eye contact with her but even a glance at her came out from time to time. A few minutes passed and then the engines started...we were ready to roll out.

"Hey Nara, that kid Shibuki told me one of the little ones got you these...a little blonde girl." Hanzo said as he gave me some plucked daisies. My heart skipped a beat as I could only believe it to be that same little girl who I held as she fell asleep. It was almost creepy that she'd bond with me so well but I couldn't resist a smile at the sheer innocence of the gesture.

"Looks like you have an admirer Shikamaru." Temari said.

"Yeah...it looks like I do." I could tell from the look on her face that she wasn't being sarcastic, but actually sincere. I spun the daisies in between my fingers, watching them gently dance and twirl. "Here Temari...take one. Actually..." Instead of sticking my hand out with one, I took a daisy and stuck it on her left ear where her hair could secure it. "Kinda looks nice don't it?"

All she could do was blush. Sure I may have just caused more drama or gossip amongst the squad and inevitably the platoon, but at that moment I didn't care. Maybe Temari did like me in that way and maybe, just maybe, I could be comfortable with that.

"Ok Fox Company, we're ready when you are!" Captain Umino said through the radio.

"You heard the captain Fox! Let's roll out!" The first sergeant bellowed from 1st squad's truck. In almost perfect unison, the engines roared as the halftracks moved along, catching up to the tanks already moving along the road.

"Here we go Nara! You ready?" Isshiki gleefully asked. I could tell he was enthusiastic as hell, despite the bayonet wound still affecting his arm.

"Ready as I'll ever be..."

It was about another hour on the road as the sun was setting. Surprisingly enough we managed to keep that low profile Sarutobi was harping about. The coming darkness made it all the more convenient to us. No doubt the other companies and even the Water/Sand forces were keeping the Soundies busy, so hopefully they don't suspect a bunch of trucks and tanks winding down some roads right into their territory. Then again I can't think of the last time I truly had something so naive could enter my thought process. Another thirty minutes passed. It was almost 7PM and we had left around 6. I reckoned we were almost at the rally point. I thought about what Naruto said, about the ANBU Rangers. If they truly were as badass as he said, I prayed for those poor Soundies. The sun had just reached the horizon and the shadows faded into one big mess of darkness...just the way I liked it. I forgot how fun it was to play with the shadows, blend myself in with them, use them to strike fear into my enemies, strike them where they can't see me. Forty-five more minutes passed and I wondered to God Almighty when I'd get the hell off this damn truck and get to the action. It was strange. I noticed Temari looking at me but attempting to be nonchalant about it. That woman...that troublesome woman. My thoughts became rushed as what transpired in days past rushed to my head. Suddenly my mind became fixated on combat, fear, and that woman. I remembered what Kankuro and Naruto were talking about and I still couldn't fathom the possibility that she could be after me.

"Something get your attention Shikamaru?" She calmly asked, though I knew the same thoughts were running through her head.

"Nah...just a little antsy about this."

"Quit yer bellyachin' you crybaby..." she replied, "We'll be fine. They won't know what hit 'em."

"I hope you're right Miss Bossy."

The backs of the trucks rattled as the drivers took a sharp detour to the right.

"That's it Fox. You're on your own. Good luck!" Captain Umino said giving us his blessings before he bugged out. Damn...

The time passed slowly as the ride got bumpier. I swear my ass felt like a pin cushion and would for the whole week. A faint flash of light emitted from a mess of trees near the open plain. That must be the rangers. We ground to a halt and immediately killed the engines as we crammed our halftracks in between the tress as best we could.

"C'mon! C'mon Fox hurry it up!" First Sergeant Guy muttered. We scrambled out the back trying to make as little noise as possible. 2LT Lee was calling for a quick assembly around our benefactors who looked armed to the teeth with bazookas, Thompsons, charges, you name it they had it. These were the ANBU Rangers.

"First Sergeant, sir," the woman in front said as she saluted Lee, "I'm Sergeant First Class Yugao Uzuki, platoon sergeant of 3rd Platoon of the Easy Company ANBU Rangers. I'm honored to be with the company that Captain Hatake commands."

"I'm flattered. He told me about how you used to be under his command Sergeant Uzuki. He sends his greetings."

"I am honored. Now we have to hurry. The situation is that in about one hour a P-47 Thunderbolt from the Konoha flyboys is gonna make a couple of passes, distracting the Soundies while we make our move. Now I know a part of one of your platoons will be covering the road with anti-armor and anti-personnel weapons, ambushing any reinforcements. We'll begin our movement now, but slow enough to let the plane come in and give us the time needed to get closer."

"Right." The first sergeant said. "2nd Platoon will amass near the front while half of 4th and one of your squads will approach from the rear as a diversion. Are there any changes to their security or strength?"

"Nothing too significant first sergeant. We'll get these bastards where it hurts and they'll be none the wiser. 2LT Lee and Sergeant Yamato will stay spread out amongst 2nd Platoon, 2LT Shibata will be with the diversion team and Sergeant Hamada will be with the road team. Everyone sync your watches together."

Upon that command the squad leaders, platoon sergeants, rangers, and officers all set theirs to the first sergeant's. "Sergeant Uzuki?" He said to her.

"We attack the minute the plane is gone, while they're still in a panic."

"Roger that. Ok Fox, we're in front of the ANBU so let's show them what we're made of. Let's show them who took Hill #367 and liberated the Cloud Village!"

"Rangers, are we ready to do what Rangers do best? Are we ready to kill some damn Soundies!" Sergeant Uzuki asked her men and women in reply.

"Let's do this for the will of fire!" Lee said eliciting a quiet cheer from the platoon. Shino closed his little prayer book and primed his weapon. Kiba licked his lips in anticipation for the battle. Naruto was reaching for where his necklace was, doubtless thinking of his lady who he gave it to. Sasuke cocked his Thompson and grinned about the battle to come. Gaara and Kankuro were also getting ready as best as they could, nodding to Temari as she turned from them and walked towards me.

"It's game time Shikamaru," Temari whispered into my ear, "let's not disappoint that fan of yours back in the town."

"Oh I don't plan on disappointing anyone Temari. Not Sarutobi, not the rangers, not that little girl, and especially not you Temari."

"Ha. That's my partner, Mr. Shikamaru 'nothing fazes me' Nara. Good luck." She leaned over and gave me a kiss on the cheek and I almost melted, but doing so would've been the worst time to lose composure.

"Good luck to you too Ms. 'I'm the boss of everyone' Temari." I replied as I, and thank God I looked around before doing it, reached in and gave her a nice wet one on the lips. She stepped back afterwards, a little startled by my sudden action, probably not expecting such a response. Had it been daylight I probably would've seen her entire body turn red. We looked at each other in the eyes for a few seconds, trying to figure out how to break the awkwardness.

"So um, I guess we should be going huh?" She suggested.

"Um...yeah...let's get to it. Can't disappoint those little kids right?"

"_This is it then. This is for that little girl who gave me the flowers. This is for Shibuki and all the other kids left parentless. This is for Sasuke and the Sand siblings who lost their parents in war. This is for Naruto who never knew the love of parents. This is for Temari who even, much to my own disbelief, I actually began to feel closer to. This is for all the marbles_."

The night was finally upon us. We will devour the Soundies, making them pay for their transgressions on humanity. We were the swift vengeance of the night and may God have mercy on those we were about to fall upon, because we knew we wouldn't.


	13. Chapter 13

"_Curse my impulsiveness! This is not the Shikamaru Nara that I know! What the hell is the matter with you kissing her like that and where did the old you go? What happened to the cynical, lazy, and smartass Shikamaru? How is this woman changing you already? You only met her less than a month ago! What the hell is going on?!?"_

The thoughts raced through my head as quicker than Choji going through a barbeque buffet or Hinata rushing to see Naruto, or vice versa might I add. The blonde was certainly a troublesome mixture in an already troublesome war. I mean it was easy when I gave my counseling to Choji on Ino or when I helped Naruto through Sakura and helped bring him to the light that was Hinata Hyuga. It was easy when it involved other people including my friends but God damn was it tough trying to sort through it when that person with the feelings was you. I dared not talk to anyone about it. Call it pride, call it embarrassment, call it whatever you wanted, but it would've killed me to spill my guts about anything. Yeah some of the platoon already thinks we might be an item and despite our best efforts they still press on, but it was getting to a point where even I wasn't sure where my feelings were. Temari of the Sand Nation...sassy, smart, deadly, and quite good looking might I add.

"_Was it fate that brought her to our platoon? Was it the conspiring of Sarutobi and the rest of the squad to add her to our fold after seeing how I initially talked to her? What is it that this woman is bringing out? I've never felt the way Choji does towards Ino to any woman in my life. How is it that this woman is doing it? I shoulda never listened in on her and her brothers!_"

I couldn't get the tortuous thoughts out of my brain. Even when the final preparations were being made to raid the camp, I couldn't focus. My face grimaced with mental anguish. "_I have to focus, I have to concentrate, I have to...oh who the hell am I kidding? I think I am falling for this woman...what the fuck am I gonna do now? What the hell am..."_

"NARA!" Sarutobi said as tactfully stern as he could hitting me in the arm to get me to my senses. I turned as he had a sympathetic but serious look bearing down on me. "I know what you're thinking about Nara. I know you're hung up on that girl, but now is most definitely not the time to be pondering romance!"

"But..."

"But nothing Nara. You're one of the scariest motherfuckers I know with a Springfield rifle and you need to remind yourself of that. We need you to be fully focused on this mission and not distracted. We'll be moving in fifteen minutes towards the objective and we can't have any fuck-ups...you got that?"

"Yes sergeant."

He looked at me with a confident grin. "Oh and Nara...I was right. I told you things like these start making men out of boys. Now you have real adult things to worry about and I won't scold you for that. I've got someone of my own just to let you know and I worry about her too, so I've been down your road before and there's nothing to be ashamed or nervous about. Just don't let it throw you off your cool."

His words, though not one of a therapist or a parent, were encouraging nonetheless. I had to remind myself that I was Private Shikamaru Nara, the deadliest shot of 2nd Platoon. Hell even Choji's stupid nickname for me sounded pretty good. Yeah, yeah Sarutobi was right. I wasn't about to let some drama with Temari get it my way of striking fear into the enemy again. I gotta show her who the best shot is in this platoon.

We hadn't talked since I kissed her. Methinks it was the initial shock of what transpired that caused the awkward silence afterwards. She and I needed to have a serious discussion when this was all said and done.

Slowly but surely we crept towards the camp, making damn well sure we weren't in any path the spotlights went. I could see them, the Soundies, standing firm on guard while the inhabitants of the camp were most likely crammed into makeshift barracks and left starving and cold. Oh the Day of Judgment would be soon at hand for these fucks. For mobility's sake, Choji and the rest of the machine gunners swapped their .30 cal guns for the B.A.R. like Naruto's. I'd be interesting to see how Choji would fare with Uzumaki's weapon of choice given you can actually run and gun with the thing, something he wasn't particularly used to.

"See anything?" Sarutobi signed to me.

I took a quick look through my scope. "Two guards in each tower, one has MG and the other is a spotter."

"Sergeant..." Temari whispered. She pointed to her eyes and showed four fingers and made a square. There were four additional guards by the gate. She signed that there were also individual roving sentries around the perimeter. I had to admit she knew her tactical sign language rather well...she continued to impress me. Nevertheless, I was still better...

Sarutobi pointed to his watch. It would be five minutes until the Thunderbolt came. To my left the ANBU squad alongside half of 4th Platoon did their very best to stay outside of their range as they snuck around to the back door.

"God I hope that plane comes in time Shikamaru." Choji whispered to me.

"Don't worry Choji it will. All we have to do is make sure we take advantage of the distraction."

"An optimistic Shikamaru...never thought I'd see the day."

"Just because I'm cynical and lazy doesn't mean I'm a pessimist."

The grass was bigger than normal which was just perfect for us to crawl through. 2LT Lee was in the middle of us, coordinating with Sergeant Yamato and the first sergeant. I could only imagine the pent-up giddiness on his face for another chance to shine...even when bullets threaten to perforate him.

"Hey you guys...good luck. Aim true Shikamaru." Naruto said. He was at my left side along with the rest of 4th squad.

"You worry about yourself Naruto and try not to run into overwhelming enemy fire this time. Hinata nearly had a heart attack saving you so let's spare her a second." I replied.

Two minutes...the heartbeat inside my chest grew with impatience. "_Can this plane come already? I wanna get closer so we can bust in and wreck the joint!_" Damn...I was thinkin' like Naruto already.

"Think you'll be ok without your necklace Naruto?" Choji asked, playing on Naruto's superstition.

"With Hinata wearing it, I'll be fine and dandy. A gal like her who I love dearly wearing it would be just like me wearing it, and she'll keep it safe so I'll be safe. Believe it!"

"Love dearly all right...took ya long enough to get to that feeling!" I chided.

"Shaddup Shikamaru!"

Sergeant Mitarashi turned to me and Naruto with a steely gaze. "Hey how about the both of you shut your gobs and listen! The show's about to start...hear that?"

Thirty seconds...the dull roar of the propeller engines getting ever so closer. It was amazing how it snuck by without attracting any anti-aircraft fires, but I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. Ten seconds...five seconds...three...two...one. And at the end of that very second, the plane flew right overhead the camp, causing a panic inside.

"Stay low 2nd! Stay low!" Lee said as loud as he could without attracting the guards. The plane swung around and peppered some of the buildings with its twin .50 caliber machine guns. Meanwhile the men and women of 2nd did their best to stifle their cheers. This was only meant to be a distraction. Had we used more Konoha Air Corps fighters this camp would be leveled and those poor kids would be orphans.

"This is only gonna last one more minute 3rd squad! Nara and Temari! Get ready!" Sarutobi said. The plane passed two more times before taking off to the west, some machine guns still trying to nail it. The sergeant gave a throat slitting gesture for me and Temari to silence the tower guards. I nodded. Taking careful aim at the machine gunner, I waited for my crosshairs to line up. This was it Shikamaru...my shot would be the start of this bloody mess, so don't screw up. I exhaled, concentrated, and pulled the trigger. It was a clean shot right in the head. Another shot followed killing the other gunner which could only have come from Temari. The two shots rang out as if someone fired them from a canyon, echoing across the landscape.

"Ready?" I asked Naruto.

"It's time."

2LT Lee's whistle blew and the assault had begun.

In an instant the grass became ablaze with the flashes of weapons from all around the front gate area. Those poor saps at the gates were felled almost instantly. Choji and Naruto poured their fire into the nearby building, most likely housing more Soundie troops who never got the chance to get out and attack us.

"Aburame! Inuzuka! Breach the gate now!" Sasuke screamed at the top of his lungs. Hanzo and Toyama ran to assist them, placing the charges at the center of the gates and priming them before running off as fast as they could. Kiba did the most acrobatic dive I ever saw a man with a rifle could do as he plunged right back into the grass, almost knocking Sasuke down. Five seconds later a massive roar emerged as the gates flew apart from the charges' explosion.

"Support by fire on those building now!" First Sergeant Guy screamed as fire continued to pour into the buildings and on whatever Soundies were unlucky to be outside.

"Let's move 3rd! Nara and Temari, stay on those towers! Pick off anyone you can! C'mon!"

Allowing 1st and 2nd squads to offer their covering fire, my squad linked up with 4th and poured in. Our first shots of resistance came as a rifle bullet struck a supply box that Ayako hid behind.

"Those motherfuckers!" He yelled, firing away one of his Garand magazines and felling one of his assailants. Behind us 1st squad flowed in, Tenten lugging her bazooka along with the rounds on her back. She quickly spotted Kankuro and ran up to him. Just what I wanted to see...another contest to see who is the better at something. It was already troublesome childishly competing with Temari...but I didn't want that shit to spread.

"Tenten, you and that Sand guy keep an eye on the depot! Turn any moving wheels into a fucking hulk!" Sergeant Morino barked through the chaos.

"I'll open 'em like tin cans sergeant!"

"Not before I do!" Kankuro challenged.

I ran towards a stack of supply crates, a couple Soundies firing away as I slammed myself on the ground and crawled up. I took a potshot at one of them but missed. I could tell you it was the most half-assed shot I made but I didn't care. Survival meant more to me than accuracy at this time.

"Glad to see you could join the party partner." A familiar female voice said to me. I leaned to my left and looked up to see Temari sitting and leaning against the crates.

"Heya...fun times ain't it?" It was all I could think of. "Pick your targets and let's get these assholes off of us."

"A good plan if I ever heard one!"

The darkness didn't help much, but we nevertheless got a bead on our assailants and disposed of them with ease. Temari was about to move but then I noticed someone in the inside tower.

"Shit! Temari get down!" I yanked her arm with almost enough force to dislocate it as a stream of bullets came ripping down where she was. Had I not pulled her she'd be good and dead by now. After seeing what could've been her untimely and messy death, she gasped for air, looking at me with shock and awe. "You can thank me later."

"That...son of a bitch! Cover me!" Taking a few harassing shots at the enemy and taking down another sentry in the chest, she took careful aim at the Soundie manning the MG42. A report sounded and the man's head jerked back as he literally flew back off the edge of the tower. "Try and kill me will ya?!?"

"We gotta move Temari! The prisoner area is just ahead!"

"Right!"

"Shikamaru cover us! We're comin' up from behind!"

"No problem Naruto."

"Ok, Kuze, Ayako, Konohamaru! Follow me! Let's give these Soundie bastards some housewarming presents!" He yelled as he set his sights on one of the barracks, Sound soldiers still firing from inside.

"Right boss! We're right behind ya." The rookie Konohamaru said. The four of them rushed as quickly as they could as Temari and I pounded through the wooden walls with rifle rife. Kuze slipped on the dirt but recovered. For a second I thought he'd be worm form right then and there.

"C'mon Temari, let's follow..." I suggested.

"You sure about that?"

"Well if we stay here we'll be dead. We gotta keep moving!"

We both made haste to where Naruto was leaning, keeping low to avoid the Soundies shooting into us through the walls.

"Rookie! Kuze! Put one in each window. I'll get the end one!"

Kuze, Naruto, and Konohamaru pulled their pins and chucked them right through the broken glass of the windows.

"Merry Christmas motherfuckers!" Naruto screamed. Three seconds later the house erupted in shattered glass and wooden splinters. I felt some sharp pain as a piece of broken glass sliced my cheek, but it was only a minor cut...nothing that'd stop me.

"You all right Nara?" Ayako asked.

"Don't worry about me! Get movin'!"

The four of them flowed from the blasted building to the next. Temari and I followed suit amidst the hailstorm of steel. I figured following Naruto, despite his penchant for danger, would be a better course of action than staying put and waiting for Sarutobi to guide me as if I was on a leash. To be honest I was surprised he was already taking charge with the other soldiers even if he was still a Private First Class

"Halftrack comin' out the doors! Tenten blow it!" Sergeant Morino screamed as a truckload of Soundies tore through the depot entrance, firing their weaponry at whatever they could see. A rifle bullet tore through Kiba's side.

"Ahhh son of a bitch! Son of a bitch! Son of a bitch!" He cursed loudly as he limped around before finally getting pulled behind a box by Shino.

"Shit...Kiba!" Naruto yelled. "Is he ok Shino?"

"He'll be all right...I'd be ornery too if I were just shot! C'mon Tenten, blow that vehicle to pieces before more of us get hurt!"

"One smoldering hulk comin' up! Kankuro load me!" He took one of her rockets and eased it into the tube. "Firing!" A quick hiss and a trail of smoke were all that was left. One second later the truck blew apart, Soundies flying in every direction. Another vehicle approached...a Sound motorcycle with an MG passenger cabin.

"Motorcycle dead ahead! Load me Tenten!" Kankuro announced. She took one of the long rockets off his ammo pack on his back and slid it in the Panzerschreck tube.

"Loaded Kankuro!"

"Firing." We cleared away from him and in a second another rocket screeched its way towards the depot, slamming into the front tire of the motorcycle. It never had a chance.

"Great shot Kankuro! You're a nightmare with that thing!" She praised, eliciting a smile from him.

"You're not too bad yourself with your little pea shooter. Told you it was on!"

"Hate to break up the contest but we gotta keep pressing! Get to those prisoner cabins and get those people outta there now!" Sasuke barked to Tenten, Kankuro, and anyone in his squad or just random privates. We had lost some squad cohesion in the initial breach. Judging by the lack of reinforcements I assumed 4th Platoon was keeping their end of the bargain. "Put a few more holes in those warehouses!"

Tenten and Kankuro continued to expend some rounds into the small labor houses where they must've put the poor Waterfall people through the slave treatment. Some ANBU flew past the two of them and placed a couple bundles of TNT next to them, and after thirty seconds whilst Temari and I ran the shockwaves of the dynamite were felt all throughout the camp. People were cheering wildly. We were the terror of the night and we were making Orochimaru and his Sound Army know that fact with a vengeance.

First Sergeant Guy was in the middle, yelling at the top of his lungs behind one of the blown-out houses but in front of most of the platoon "1st and 2nd squads! Establish a base of fire on anything wearing a Soundie uniform or anything that doesn't have civilians inside. We'll burn this fucking place to the ground before we let anyone able to fire at us! Sergeant Uzuki! Take your squad along with our 3rd and 4th squads and double-time it to the prisoner barracks! We've had enough fun here!"

"Yes first sergeant! All right Rangers...asses in gear! Let's get these people out! Move in buddy teams, cover the person behind you!"

The Rangers got up in near unison and hauled while all we could do is try and keep up. The Soundies were still in a panic from the ferocity at which we struck them with. Nevertheless they were doing their best to keep us from our objective.

A stick object landed right next to me and Temari and I turned white. "GRENADE! TAKE COVER!" Without further ado Temari and I dove right into whatever we could before the grenade went off. The shock caused a painful ringing in my ears. A high-pitched whistle and a blurred vision welcomed me as I opened my eyes. I dared not stand up lest I wander into someone's muzzle. I leaned on my side and struggled to sit up. Yeah right...easier said than done.

"Shikamaru get up! C'mon get up I said!" Someone was dragging me. My vision was still blurry but I though it was Naruto. "Get up you lazy good-fer-nothing!" Then after hearing that and my vision returning to me, the fog cleared and Temari's face was glaring down at me.

"Uhhnnnn...gimme a break Temari! A fucking grenade just went off like five feet away!"

"Can't have you wander into fire and die on me in the middle of this can we?"

"Good point." I replied finally able to get on my feet. The ringing stopped and after a deep breath it was ready to get back in the melee again.

We were about 150 meters from the prisoner houses. They were dilapidated. Broken and rotted wood were everywhere causing gaping holes to emerge and expose the poor inhabitants to the elements. All around me the staccato rhythm of gunfire went off like it was a fireworks extravaganza, but I could only focus on the task at hand. I prayed that everyone was ok while my squad and Naruto's rushed into the prisoner area as quickly as we could taking cover and bounding behind whatever we could see.

"Contact!" One of the Rangers yelled. Two Soundies had taken cover behind some boxes and fired into our crowd. Another Ranger was clipped in the arm and Sergeant Mitarashi took a bullet in her upper shoulder and another in the thigh. I thought Kiba was bad with his tongue but the sergeant cursed enough to make even the saltiest of sailors cry. Another Ranger tossed a grenade right towards the two and that was the last we saw of them.

"You shitheads! You are fucking maggot bait! You are dead fucking meat!" She screamed firing her Thompson through the boxes as if she could make them any more dead than they already were.

"Mitarashi calm down! They're dead! Toyama!" Sarutobi said to her as Toyama rushed towards him. "Get the sergeant outta here and back to the rally point. We'll take it from here Anko."

"Yes Sergeant Sarutobi. C'mon let's get you outta here." He said as he attempted to sling her arm over his shoulder.

"Leave me alone private! I'm not leaving my squad!"

"Anko!" Sarutobi blasted. "If you don't leave with Private Toyama you'll only slow us down! I'll take care of your squad...trust me."

She sighed. "Ok then private...let's go." The two of them backpedaled, taking potshots at the Soundies just for a last hurrah. I could only glance as I watched the action continue to unfold. Soundies were pouring out every which way trying to get a piece of us. Most of us were stuck behind cover.

"C'MON RANGERS! This shit don't scare us! Soundies die now!" The ANBU Ranger sergeant screamed as she led a charge into a makeshift position. From the looks of it, it was as if bullets would fly everywhere but into them. They unmercifully gunned down the Soundies and quickly formed a protective line. "Get moving 2nd Platoon! We've got the perimeter clear! Pop smoke private!" The Ranger she yelled at quickly threw out a smoke grenade and tossed it near the buildings. It was pretty damn accurate as it hissed and released a thick grey smoke which concealed the buildings from enemy fire.

"You heard the lady guys! Move it now! Get everyone out and carry anyone too sick to walk!" Sarutobi yelled.

"Hanzo, Choji, Temari, on me!" I barked. I was surprised they actually listened as they flocked around me in file formation as we poured into one of the buildings. The second I rushed in I was welcomed by a panicked man wielding a broken broom shaft.

"KEEP AWAY! DON'T COME NEAR ME!" The poor man yelled. He must've thought we were Soundies coming to execute them. All around us they were hiding...some were purely delirious, having no idea what was going on. Dirty, disheveled, and worn, these poor people must've been through hell.

"Put it down! Put it down! We're soldiers from the Leaf Army! We're here to take you home!" I replied hoping I could talk some sense. I inched closer as the sounds of battle still rung outside.

"STAY BACK!" He jabbed at me but feebly. Choji grabbed the man and hoisted him up. "Let me go! Let me go!" He must've still thought we were Soundies.

"I'll say it again! We are from the Leaf Nation and have come to free you! Follow us!" Some got the clear message when tears of joy were on their face, noticing our Konoha uniform patches as if they were a sign from the Almighty.

"Ok Hanzo, Choji, carry whoever can't move. Temari and I will lead the others out! C'mon people we gotta move!" Moving as fast as their worn bodies could, the prisoners flowed like a river towards us while Temari scanned outside the door for anyone.

"It's clear Shikamaru...get 'em movin'!"

"Ok people follow me! Follow me! We have to move!"

Right behind Temari and me a swarm of about twenty-five men and women came out. To my left Naruto was already carrying a woman and leading a section of his squad and about twenty more people out. Choji and Hanzo came out behind the crowd carrying some other sickly looking people. Some of the Rangers went inside again to get whoever we couldn't. The clock was ticking and we had to move. I huffed and puffed as all the running around was finally getting to me, but I couldn't stop. If I stopped, they stopped, and we'd all be one big target. Judging by the fading frequency of the shooting the Soundies were pretty much neutralized.

A throng of prisoners were soon all around us. 2nd Squad did their best to form a defensive ring around them, though from the looks of it, especially Kiba, they were already having troubles of their own. To our relief the trucks were there as scheduled, ready to pick up the prisoners.

"NARUTO!" Hinata cried out to the crowd as she poked herself outside the tarp of one of the trucks. "Naruto where are you?"

"HINATA! I'm coming Hinata! Get the trucks ready!" He yelled back as he ran like hell along with a section of his squad to load the POWs.

"Ino get ready...I'm comin' with a big load so get...AHHH!" Choji yelped in pain as a shot rang out and tore through a small portion of his shin.

"CHOJI!" She screamed in worry.

I turned to spot a Sound officer, who must've snuck by our assault force, taking shots with his Luger alongside two other inside a mortar bunker but he was no match for me and my Springfield. A quick lineup and a simple pull and right through his head my bullet went. How dare he shoot my friend! An ANBU Ranger poured submachine gun fire into the ditch and felled the other two.

"It's ok Ino...I...can still...move! It's just...a scratch!" He confidently replied as he still plodded on with the two prisoners he was carrying. He managed to get a few feet closer and the two on his shoulders were caught by the medics and loaded on Ino's truck as he fell to the ground. He struggled to get up but it hurt him a lot.

"Choji I'll get you! Let me help you up." Ino said as she leapt from the platform and tried with all her might to ease him up. Good thing Choji was a workhorse as he collected the strength to assist Ino. "C'mon guys help him up!"

I pushed Choji inside the truck bed as he lay there breathing heavily. The medic inside quickly rushed to dress his wound. Kiba and Sergeant Mitarashi were also being loaded in addition to the prisoners. 4th Platoon came rushing back as ever more trucks showed up to pick us up. By now the Soundies got the message that one of their installations was under attack.

"C'mon Fox Company! Get these people on...MOVE!" First Sergeant Guy barked.

"That's it, up we go. You're ok. We're gonna bring you home to your kids." Naruto assured the prisoners as he and Hinata worked together to hoist them up. She kept close to Naruto, her heart warmed by his compassion towards these people. As she said herself, Naruto never had a mother or father to say they loved him, so it'd kill him to deprive the kids back in the town their source of love. I knew those two were made for each other even if Naruto is an occasional halfwit.

Almost all the prisoners were evacuated and not a moment too soon. The chatter over the radio got more anxious.

"This is Section 2 of 4th Platoon! We've got halftracks inbound! We cut off their main route and are pulling back but they won't stay stuck forever over!"

"Copy that..." 2LT Shibata of 4th Platoon responded. "Proceed to the rally point ASAP! We'll wait for you there...out."

"Are they loaded yet?" Sergeant Uzuki asked the first sergeant. A grin with a thumbs up was all she needed for a confirmation. "Sir we're done here let's move!"

"Yes of course! Let's get outta here 2nd Platoon!" As the rest of our platoon bounded back and covered each other, 2LT Lee checked to see if anyone else was around while his men and women boarded every available truck. He slammed the flare on the ground and a green streak lit up the night sky. Afterwards he sped like hell towards the closest truck and we zoomed out post haste. The camp itself was a smoldering, flaming ruin. Torn metal, scattered barbed wires, slabs of blasted concrete, and bodies of Sound soldiers were testaments to our furious strike. Inside one of the prisoner trucks, I wiped my brow as looked at some of the prisoners, some still in shock, some being checked on by the medics, and some hugging each other and crying that they were free. What in the hell did those bastards do to them? I looked to Temari as she looked at me right back. Before I could speak I was interrupted by an explosion near one of the squad halftracks.

"Inbound contact! Inbound contact! Armored halftrack taking shots at us!" I heard over the radio. Another brief flash and an eruption of dirt flew into us as the cannon on the halftrack missed us by only several meters away. A rocket from the exposed halftrack meant that either Kankuro or Tenten were attempting to fire back, but to no avail. It flew off course and landed nearby one of the chasing vehicles.

"Shit they're getting closer!" Ino yelled. One of the machine guns burst from a vehicle on the left. It grazed our truck and nearly got us all. Another volley went right into the open-hatch truck behind us. Some poor guy in 4th Platoon got shot right in the side, but it looked like he was still alive. Everyone else kept low as our convoy tried to gun the engines and escape. More explosions rocked the road as it looked like our Sound friends had no intention of quitting.

"Keep moving on the roads Fox Company! We're almost there! Don't stop for anything!" The first sergeant shouted through the radio.

"Fuck! We're not gonna make it!" Choji screamed, still in pain from the earlier wound.

"Yes we are Choji! We'll make it...all of us!" I replied. My sudden optimism surprised even myself. One of the halftracks tried to pull beside us but a quick shot from 4th Platoon got one of the tires and it swerved off course and crashed. That was one down as I nearly though I'd need a change of underwear after that. "_Shit on a shingle Shikamaru...what the hell now huh? This is looking pretty shitty right now! Fuck c'mon...c'mon...just get within range of the guns! C'MON!_"

An explosion rocked the side of our truck and for a second everyone flew all over the place. I struggled to hold on. Temari lost her footing and nearly fell out. I grabbed her hand in the nick of time as she dangled off the edge.

"It's ok Temari! I got you and I won't let go!"

"SHIKAMARU!" She screamed struggling to not let go. My pulse quickened and a newfound strength enveloped me. "_I cannot let her go! I will not let her go!_" With all my might I tried to find purchase on the truck bed and grabbed her and pulled her back inside the truck bed. The convoy did its best to evade them as the time passed, but they kept taking shots. Some of the vehicles went off course and skidded. Everything ground to a halt as the lead vehicle stopped.

"Fuck! We're sealed off! We're sealed off! Vehicles in front!" The radio cried out. Now we were in a shitstorm.

"Jesus Christ! We're done for!" Ino screamed almost bursting into tears as the Soundies got closer and closer. "_Fuck...this is it...we're gonna get slaughtered by these people, and after all the effort to save the prisoners. I'm sorry little girl...I'm sorry Temari..._" The realization that I might die right here and now was overwhelming me. It looked hopeless. "_I failed you both..."_ I held Temari and was ready for the end until several explosions emerged from the distance. One of our pursuers erupted in a fountain of twisted metal and fire, and then another and from the sounds ahead of us another.

"In the nick of fucking time...our artillery finally gets in range! Holy shit!" I yelled to everyone. X-Ray Battery must've gotten a bead on our location and fired whatever they could.

"X-Ray Battery has us covered Fox! Let's move now!" I understood one of those rounds could've flattened us but we took advantage of their cover and continued moving. Our convoy managed to get back on line as artillery shell after artillery shell exploded all around us. Some more Sound vehicles managed to escape the barrage and continue harassing us. A stray bullet tore through our truck and struck one of the medics in the chest. Judging by the sound in the front the passenger was hit too.

"Fuck!" Ino screamed as she got down trying to save the poor man.

"Don't these guys give up?!?" I asked aloud, not expecting an answer. "C'mon c'mon! We're almost home...just lose them please! God just get rid of them!!!" I shouted again like a madman. At that moment my prayers were answered when booms erupted from in front of us, utterly destroying two of our assailants.

"We couldn't let X-Ray have all the fun huh boys?" A familiar voice cackled through the radio. It was Captain Umino. "C'mon Able, let's bring these boys home! We're not gonna strand our comrades behind!" Again and again the cannons roared as more Sound vehicles became twisted hulks from their 76mm cannons.

"They bugging out! We're home free!" The driver screamed in elation.

"It's over...we're safe now..." I whispered to Temari who was still shocked from another near-death experience only to have my hand save her. I closed my eyes for a brief second and took a deep breath. A few minutes later and we were in the perimeter of the town. There Captain Hatake was ready to receive us.

"Fox Company! Get all the prisoners and wounded off the trucks on the double! I want a triage center set up ASAP!"

The squad halftracks poured out as Sarutobi helped Choji and Ino off along with the other medic who tragically died on the way back. Ino was already distraught and couldn't stop sobbing, Choji doing his best to calm her down. Given the fact we almost all died back there...I didn't blame her one bit. Naruto was clutching Hinata off the truck, holding her tight as the others were being treated.

"It's ok Hinata. We're safe now." He said calmly to her. The poor girl was shaking and covered in blood, Naruto stroking her hair and whispering to her.

"Oh my God Hinata! Is she ok Naruto!" I said running towards him and leaving Sarutobi with the truck.

"She's all right. Poor guy next to her got shot right in the head and it's all over her, scared her half to death those Soundie fucks did. It's ok Hinata...I'm here, I'm all right."

"N-Naruto...oh Naruto!" She screamed as she sobbed on his arm. He had her rest her head on his arm as he wiped the blood off of her. "I th-thought...I thought we were g-g-going to die. Naruto..."

"Hinata! You're with me now Hinata...I won't let anything happen to you! Not on my watch Hinata! I love you..."

Jesus. All this after what the brass will call a successful mission. Pain, blood, and suffering were mixed with the jubilation. All around people were groaning in pain and throwing up from the escapade that just transpired. The prisoners looked confused and scared like us. I had to sit down. I drank from my canteen and tried to drown the sounds of agony out. I couldn't bear it anymore. I ran off to the side of a building and vomited. The feeling in my guts was so awful that I couldn't hold it in much longer. It felt awful to do but I needed to do it. Suddenly I felt woozy and everything started to get fuzzy and the last thing I saw was the quick flash of Naruto with Hinata before I fell. Then it went black.

"Nara! Nara are you with us? C'mon Nara answer me!" I felt a sharp sting across my cheek as the faint smell of nicotine and tobacco filled my nose. Sarutobi was looking down at me as I felt groggy and had terrible cotton mouth. "Oh thank God. You passed out a few hours ago and we thought you went into shock or something."

"Huh? Sergeant? Where is everyone?"

"It's ok now Nara. They're still taking care of the prisoners. Choji is getting bandaged up and Ino is back on her feet. Your little friend Uzumaki took his girlfriend, that Hyuga girl, off somewhere, but I think they'll be ok." He sighed. "We lost a couple guys from 4th Platoon and some transportation and medical soldiers, but not a single prisoner died. We did it Nara."

"So then...a worthy sacrifice sergeant?" I slurred, still woozy from my faint.

"You can think of it like that Nara. You need some rest...let me help you up."

He hoisted me up and helped me over to where my kit was from last night. I took another drink from my canteen to hydrate myself and rid me of my awful breath.

"Get some rest Nara. You're the only one here now so take advantage of being alone and sleep for a few."

The ambiance changed from groans to cheers as I heard the first sergeant and the Rangers scream in delight over the success. We did it. We saved the parents of these children. Maybe Sarutobi was right...maybe the ultimate sacrifice of those who died to get back here was worth it. I hoped they had comfort knowing they died for what many would call a worthy cause. I thought about what happened and how by the grace of God we were still alive. It was as if a higher power indeed made X-Ray and Able show up in the nick of time. A smile emerged from my face as I thought about the children. "_Looks like I didn't fail you after all little girl. I didn't fail you either Temari._" I meandered over to my blankets and covered myself, hoping sleep would embrace me. Suddenly a ruffling came from the doorway.

"Temari? What're ya doin' here Temari?"

She didn't respond as she took off her shoes and socks and inched her way closer to me. I sat up and looked at her, an emotionless mouth on her face. She just looked at me deeply as she knelt down to my level. She was breathing heavily and her lips trembled a bit as she took off her long-sleeved shirt, revealing a tank top and her supple skin.

"_What is this woman doing?_" I thought to myself. "Temari...are you ok? Is this about before? Is this about..." She slammed her face into mine and pressed her lips on mine as hard as she could. Her soft embrace was startling to say the least. She let go of her kiss and looked at me again.

"Temari...what has gotten into you?"

"Shikamaru..." It was all she muttered as she grabbed my hand and glided it across her arm and her chest, placing it down her shirt. I began to feel tingly all over as she leaned forwards and we locked lips again. She took the blankets and laid them on top the both of us. Her shirt was off and she proceeded to take mine off too.

"You...troublesome woman..."

"Lazy crybaby..."

It was like nothing I had ever felt before. The warm, supple embrace of her was intoxicating. Every touch, every taste, it was like the nectar and ambrosia of the gods. With only the blankets covering us, she pressed herself into me, a soft moan coming from her lips...a sudden rush of feelings surging through me. This woman...this troublesome woman...I couldn't believe her. Our bodies were held close as we were the only ones in the room. I couldn't believe what was happening that of all the nights and of all the places and of all the happenings here we were, a lazy, cynical man from the Leaf Nation and a bossy, troublesome woman from the Sand Nation, making love on the floor in the middle of a war. It didn't matter to me though. This was our night. Forget the times I saved her and she saved me. Forget the times we argued and almost fought each other. This was indeed our night.

"Temari..."

"Shikamaru..."

As we held each other even closer, passion and lust were in the air. She wanted me so badly and I wanted her right now so badly. There was nothing else in the world that would've even compared to what I felt right now. On this night, she was mine and I was hers. On this night, we were one.


	14. Chapter 14

"_You keep trying to dodge the issue but one day it might creep up on you when you least expect it. I just pray you're ready when the time comes because in war, you never know when it'll come_."

Those same lines kept stirring in my head...again and again.

"_I think you know Nara. I've seen the way you look at her sometimes_."

"_I've seen the way you look at him since we first met the Leaf Army. I see the way you look at him now. You have feelings for that sniper don't you?_"

"_You love him don't you Hinata?"_

"_Yes…yes I do, with every fiber in my body I do. I want to provide him the love he never had. I always wanted to tell him but I never could muster the courage to do it, and I fear I never will_."

Everything was going through my brain all at once, everything that had happened way before and just did happen. A myriad of voices flooded me...

"_Our parents were dead along with the rest of our family. We're all that's left._"

"_I'm just getting tired. Day in, day out and still no clear end in sight. We just lost Yona and six others, and all the while the Soundies just keep coming. It's just so troublesome…I don't need this._"

"_Ah to hell with you! At least I know what I wanna fight for, even if it sounds childish to most. You on the other hand, I don't even how you live with yourself_!"

"_Shikamaru..._"

"_You keep trying to dodge the issue but one day it might creep up on you when you least expect it. I just pray you're ready when the time comes because in war, you never know when it'll come_."

"_So you shot the bitch, welcome to war._"

"_GRENADE! TAKE COVER!_"

"_Jesus Christ! We're done for!_"

"_EVERYONE DOWN! MORTARS!_"

My eyes were closed but I could feel myself tossing and turning. Inside the sounds of combat echoed as if they were real.

"_Partners, Temari of the Sand?_"

"_Partners, Shikamaru of the Leaf._"

"_Don't worry…I won't ever die on ya, not on my watch. Hinata…_"

"_N-N-Naruto..._"

"_DON'T YOU EVER TOUCH HINATA LIKE THAT!_"

"_I don't know. It's just a weird feeling in my bones...that something bad is gonna happen. I know we're with the Leaf soldiers and that makes me feel somewhat safer, but also somewhat more afraid at the same time._"

"_Lazy crybaby..._"

"_Temari...troublesome woman..._"

My eyes opened finding myself lying on a grassy field. The clouds were very dark but it was still bright enough to see. The wind had a slight breeze to it. Temari was there about a hundred yards away, sitting alone with her back turned to me. I walked towards her, my rifle slung over my shoulders and my uniform on, but there was nary a scratch on it or on me for that matter. As I approached she turned to me slowly. Her face was soft and delicate like Hinata's, quite contrary to the way I've seen it sometimes especially after battle. None of her equipment barring her rifle was with her.

"Ah...Shikamaru! How nice of you to come. Here," she said as she patted the grass next to her, "have a seat."

I cautiously parked myself next to her, observing the clouds blowing in an increasingly stronger wind.

"Lovely weather this is isn't it? It's got this ominous aura to it, and then again a lot of things seem to be eh Shikamaru?" She asked with a playful smile on her face, as if nothing could possibly faze her.

I looked startled. "Temari, what's this all about?"

"Big things are comin' Shikamaru. I just hope you're ready."

"_I just hope you're ready..._" An echo quietly blew through the air, the voice similar to Sarutobi's. A faint rumble emerged from the clouds as the ground started to shake from the thunder. I began to get nervous while Temari was still as happy as a child with a flashy new toy.

"Temari what's going on? Why are ya just sitting there smiling?"

She didn't say anything as she let out a deep sigh.

"ANSWER ME TEMARI!"

Still nothing came from her lips. The sky blackened as the lightning, a sickly purplish color too surreal to imagine, flashed wildly in every direction. The thunder was deafening and everything around me started to blur. The ground shook even more furiously.

"Temari we have to get outta here! That storm is coming real fast!" She just sat there. My attempts to move her were like pushing against a brick wall. My arms felt tired and weak. What the hell was going on?

"Will you be there for me Shikamaru? Will you be able to protect me?"

"Of course I'll be there Temari don't be silly! Now is most definitely not the time!"

"Will you save me when the time comes? Would you let me die?"

"I never will let you die Temari!" I muttered as I feel to my knees suddenly. Everything felt weak as some unexplainable fear paralyzed me. Brief flashes of things...horrible things that I couldn't fathom flooded my sight. Their teeth glistened like polished metal as they took the form of demonic humans. The eye sockets were vacant, their black holes staring at me. I was sweating bullets. In front of me I saw my closest friends, all lying around Temari as if they were placed there. My lips trembled seeing the broken and bloodied bodies of them...Kiba, Ino, Shino, Sasuke, Lee, Gaara, Kankuro, Choji, Naruto and Hinata. Naruto was clutching Hinata tightly even though they were dead. Choji and Ino laid there with a look of terror on their faces...those faces stabbing my mind. Their eyes were all open...all staring at me, as if I was responsible. The demons swarmed me, gnashing their teeth and screaming unholy things at me.

"STOP IT PLEASE! I DON'T WANNA SEE IT ANYMORE! MAKE IT STOP!" I screamed in terror, grasping Temari with all my might. Temari slowly looked up at me.

"Temari...please...tell me what's happening?" I begged with tears in my eyes.

"Will you be ready Shikamaru? Will you be there to keep me safe?" The thunder became near point blank, making my ears ring unmercifully.

"Of course I will Temari! I promise!"

"Don't make a girl a promise...if you can't keep it Shikamaru." She muttered to me.

"I'll keep it Temari...I swear! TEMARI! I...I...love you." I stared in horror as blood trickled from her forehead down her face. My hands felt wet and sticky. I looked at them and screamed as they were covered in crimson. My face felt funny as the metallic taste of my own blood ran down my brow and down to my lips. Things became blurry as I felt my life pouring out of me. I struggled with all my might to hold on to Temari but the blood loss became too much. Sharp pains flowed through my body as the demons stabbed me with their shadowy limbs, but I wasn't dead. They let go leaving me to die as they turned to Temari. Closer and closer they inched, their black blades ready to strike. One raised its arm, sharpened like an obsidian sword, ready to cut her down.

"NOOOOOOOOO! TEMARI!" I screamed.

"No!" I sat up, gasping for air, dumbfounded at what just happened. My whole body was drenched in sweat from head to toe. That was one fucking incredible nightmare. I looked around. There wasn't a soul to be heard...only the crickets chirping and the faint sound of boots against cobblestone. I shook my head in disbelief while wiping the sweat from my brow.

"_What the hell just happened? Temari...is she ok?_" I panicked. I then felt the familiar touch of her skin. Her hand had placed itself on my stomach delicately. I looked at her...no blood, no cuts, no nothing. She was ok. I was relieved. Her warmth came as somewhat of a comfort to me, our bodies and senses savoring every place we touched. I lay back down on the floor and turned to face her. She was out like a light but I didn't care. Seeing her face and seeing her safe after that horrible nightmare was the greatest relief to me. My hand guided itself and ran along her cheek, gently gliding through her soft blonde hair. We must've fallen dead asleep since she first came in and we had shared our repressed intimacy.

I looked up at the ceiling, at the old plaster and dusty light fixtures, trying to lull myself back to sleep.

"Shikamaru..." A faint whisper came from her lips. I turned expecting her to be awake, but she was just mumbling in her sleep as she shuffled around, her arm placing itself on my chest with her hand at my side. God the touch of her naked body next to mine sent shivers through my spine...the warmth of it all too much for most men to bear.

I inched my head over to her ear. "Temari...I don't know if you can hear me, but I want to promise something to you. You're the most troublesome woman I've ever known and God Almighty are you a pain in my ass, but I swear I will protect you. Even if I die doing so...I will promise you that I will never let you die. Not on my watch Temari..." Sure I used Naruto's line when he professes his love for Hinata, but I felt like it fit this occasion. Speaking of which I hope Hinata was ok. Having that poor man get shot next to her and having her covered in blood and other things I'd rather not think of would've shaken even me. I'm glad she had Naruto. Maybe that idiot could put his affection to good use. "Temari...when I make a promise, I keep it. You will come to no harm so long as I have a breath in my body."

"_Listen to me...I can't believe myself anymore and what was coming from my mouth. This troublesome broad was nothing but a nuisance and lo and behold, here I was thinking I was making enemies with her in the beginning. Now I'm making vows to her after I just made love to her and quite passionately might I add. I guess all the berating I gave Naruto and Choji finally came around to bite me in the ass. Karma is a bitch._"

But despite the mental beating karma gave me, I didn't care at this moment. I felt too comfortable to let it hit me. I knew my heart wouldn't steer me wrong. Even if she was bossy, sassy, and troublesome, it wouldn't be very gentlemanly of me to let her get hurt and do nothing about it. Temari of the Sand and Shikamaru of the Leaf, two kids mixed up in feelings in a mixed-up war. Wow God works in mysterious ways. "_Ok enough thinking Shikamaru! Save it for another day when it matters...sleep time is now._" My inner voice couldn't have been more right. I turned to face her again, my hand resting on her shoulder. "See ya in the mornin' Temari."

I slowly closed my eyes, the warmth of the both of us soothing me, and entered the realm of sleep once more.

When I awoke the sun peeked through the cracks in the wall and the windows. The birds chirped in celebration of a new day and a gentle calm flowed through the air. It was rare that moments like these came...it was too peaceful to be real. I turned to Temari who was still sound asleep, her back turned to me, and then I turned the other way and got wide-eyed.

"Well holy shit...never thought I'd see the day!" Sarutobi greeted me as he leaned up against the doorway. Taking drags from another one of his cigarettes, he chuckled mockingly and shook his head. "And I thought you said you were just partners. Just partners and nothing more eh? I think we need to figure out your definition of that word Nara."

"Jesus Christ..." I muttered to myself. Yep, I was busted. "Sergeant how long have you been here? Were you peeping on us 'cause if so that's pretty messed up!"

He did a double-take. "Wait what? No! God damn it Nara!"

"Well even if you were could you keep it down sergeant? She's still sleeping." I audaciously requested.

"Oh ok private...I'll keep it down for you and your paramour. Maybe next I'll go punch out the LT and give you his spot. Get your ass up...we've got work to do."

"After that late night debacle?"

"War's still goin' on Nara. 1st and 3rd Platoons of course have most of the burden but anyone that wasn't shot up is still doing their part."

"How're Choji and Ino by the way?" I hadn't seen much of Choji since I passed out. The wound he got was rather bad but I was confident he'd still be in good spirits. He was as strong as an ox and as stubborn as one to boot.

"They're faring much better with some rest and food. Choji's leg wound still gives him a nasty limp but he'll manage. While he's healing he's eating more than a horse could. Ino's calmed down and is helping PFC Hyuga and the other medics treat the wounded and civilians. I'll say given what went down last night I don't blame any of you for being sick or scared shitless."

"Well that's better news."

"Indeed. Regardless, it's time for you to join the rest of your squad and meet us by the courtyard fountain. Get dressed and be quick about it."

"Right...I'll let Temari know."

Sarutobi sauntered out the doorway and I assume to the rest of his squad. I sighed and ever so carefully searched around for my clothing, doing my best not to touch Temari and wake her up abruptly.

"Leaving so soon crybaby?" She muttered, stretching while underneath the blankets. She turned to face me, resting her head on her hand, and smiled. "You may be lazy, but you certainly don't lack any stamina there champ..."

What a gal. "Well I need all the stamina I can muster dealing with a troublesome woman like you." I replied while getting my pants and undershirt on. "Here, methinks you'll need these." I tossed her clothing to her, reaching for her shoes and socks and placing them right next to my blankets.

"Well this is a new Shikamaru. I'd have figured you'd toss my clothes out the window out of spite."

"Wouldn't want your brothers seeing you like that...I could be wrong but it wouldn't go over well with them seeing you covered only by blankets with me nearby. People would think things and fists would fly."

"You don't say? Wow they don't call you a genius for nothing Shikamaru." She sneered while putting her long-sleeve shirt on. "How long were we asleep?"

"No idea. I totally lost track of time. But I guess now the time is Sergeant Sarutobi time since I hear him barking outside. How troublesome..."

"Well then...I guess we better get dressed and see what he wants, unless you'd like to go for round two." She suggested while patting the floor.

Such awkward questions...

"Ha. Temari, I don't get you sometimes...I really don't."

"The feelings...are totally mutual."

As we both finalized getting dressed, I couldn't help but reflect on what happened that night. To me it was a shocking little twist of events but to Temari it seemed like it was nothing. Before we approached the door, I couldn't help but open my mouth.

"Temari..."

"Yes...Shikamaru?"

"Last night...when we were together...do ya think...do ya think something was there?"

She placed her hand on my shoulder where my rifle was slung. "Shikamaru...to be honest, I did think something was there. I felt it when you wouldn't let me fall off that truck. I felt it when you held me close even when we were looking like death was near. Quite frankly I'm not sure what's going on right now between us but time will tell."

A gentle pause snuck its way in between us.

"C'mon," I said patting Temari on the arm, "I'm sure the sergeant would like our help ASAP."

She smiled. "Yeah...I think you're right. Let's move private!" A sharp sting surged through my body as Temari found it funny to slap me on the ass like she was prodding me along.

"Ow! Troublesome woman..."

"Lazy crybaby...quit yer bitchin'! Don't want your pals Naruto and Choji seeing you all red like that now do we?"

"Ah look who finally decided to show up!" The sergeant yelled across the courtyard. Judging how he and no one else immediately mentioned the fact Temari was with me, it was safe to assume he kept his mouth shut about what he saw.

"So sergeant, what's on tap for today?"

"I'm glad you asked. We need to perform some inconvenient maintenance on the halftracks and trucks thanks to last night's scrap, consolidate ammunition and load it on the quartermaster trains, assist in treating the last of the civilians, and then whatever else the captain has planned for us."

"Wow...sounds like a blast."

"Sarcasm noted Nara. So...which lovely chore do you two wanna dig your hands into?"

I pondered this for a moment, mostly because all of the details were shitty, but I had to figure out which would be the last painful for me. Ammo detail always sucked because your hands smelled like rust and counting all those bullets would make my head burst. I didn't want any more civilian caretaking and besides that's a medic job. I guess the vehicles wouldn't be so bad. I could just tinker around and look like I'm doing something. Hell I could even sneak under one of the tarps and catch a quick nap!

"I'll take vehicle detail sergeant. Temari?"

"I guess where he goes I go sergeant."

"Ok good. Go see Corporal Haruno and tell her I sent you. She'll figure out what you can do. I know 2nd squad's already down there since Sergeant Uchiha and Corporal Haruno are the platoon's item. When she says you're done come back to me. I've got a little surprise for the squad."

"Can I ask what that surprise is now sergeant?"

"No."

"Fuck..." I muttered to myself so only Temari and I could hear it. I hated it when Sarutobi had "surprises" for us. It usually meant pushups or some other tortuous exercise while he just sat there and smoked or drank his sake in front of us. I treated the man like a second father, but that didn't separate the fact he was an asshole at times.

The trucks and halftracks were all laid out in formation. Some were as pristine and clean as the day they got off the assembly line while others looked like they should've been mothballed. Bullet holes, tears, leaks, broken glass, and then some. It was a miracle that they survived the journey.

"Jesus...I knew last night was hairy but I never knew it was this bad." Temari whispered to me.

"You're telling me."

Corporal Sai approached us with a simple wave of hello.

"Hey Sai, is Sakura around? Sergeant Sarutobi sent us over to help you guys out."

He just shrugged his shoulders. As contrast to Sakura or Sasuke, Sai always had a blank look on his face, like nothing was even going on in his head.

"Do you...say anything at all Sai?" I asked him. "I mean shit...I've been near you for seven months now and I've heard barely a peep outta you."

His eyed glared at me, obviously annoyed by my inquiring. He huffed and walked off towards some of his fellow engineers that were busy welding.

"Looks like you've still got it Shikamaru..." Temari jabbed.

"Oh great, I ask for help and Sergeant Sarutobi sends me his pet sloth. Temari I can get some good help with but I guess you had to come along for the ride huh Shikamaru?" The voice so few could tolerate barked from around the mess of Jeeps.

"Good to see you too Sakura. How's that forehead holdin' up?" The retort got a snicker out of Temari, which made me relieved because last time I made fun of another girl in front of her my baby-makers had to take one for the team.

"Asshole..." She muttered under her breath. Sakura was always a scary broad, almost as much as my mom or Temari. I'm glad I'm not a Soundie since I've seen what she can do with an M2 Flamethrower when she's pissed off enough and it's almost made me need a new pair of pants. It was a blessing in disguise when she lost hers and supply just didn't feel like getting her a new one. I was afraid she'd go PMS one day and burn the whole camp down.

"Don't let her faze you Shikamaru...she's been like that to all of us. Even I with my hurt side can't be safe." Kiba said as much needed support.

"Hey Kiba! How's the side treating you? Fuckin' Soundies must've put a hurt on ya somethin' fierce huh?"

"Yeah no shit...you and Temari got off with only a few scratches! The side you ask? Well it hurts but it didn't hit me too far inside so some muscle got fucked up but Hinata took care of me good, sure as sure she did! It hurt but hey you gotta take it like a man am I right?"

"Yes quite, this poor man here didn't stop screaming while poor Hinata treated him. I could've sworn she would've had a mental snap and throttle Kiba right then and there."

Kiba blushed in embarrassment. "Shino...for the love of God must you spout everything that comes to mind?"

"Oh on the contrary my dear Kiba...only the things I find enjoyable to bring up or when the truth needs to come out such as in your case."

Temari, Sakura, and I laughed. I know he was the platoon college boy and a little weird but man, count on him to lighten your spirits at the expense of the less mentally agile.

"All right boys, enough play time, work time is now. We need these trucks redone with new tarps, any and all bullet holes marked for welding which Corporal Sai's team will take care of. All trucks need to be refueled, the oil, fluids, and tires need checking, and any and all leaks noted and take care of. Last night was not kind to our vehicles and I consider it a miracle from the heavens that we didn't lose a single vehicle despite some of our guys biting it." Sakura ordered. "All right...let's do it!"

Temari and I got busy with Kiba and Shino doing some trivial bullshit but at least it killed some time. Putting new tarps on the medical and supply trucks was much easier than I expected, even with some inevitable trouble.

"Hey watch it Shikamaru!" Kiba barked as we fumbled to unfurl another green tarp. "No follow my fold and we'll work from, no not that way!"

"Maybe if you quit fidgeting with it we could get it out Kiba!"

"Shikamaru..." Temari warned. With a little TLC and some patience on my part dealing with Kiba we got the last ones out and strapped. It took us a good hour but it was good exercise, something I don't normally jump through flaming hoops for but if it comes I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth.

"Ok we got those taken care of thank God. Hey Kiba, Shino, have you seen her brother anywhere?"

"You mean Gaara, the redheaded boy? Actually he wandered off somewhere amidst the motor pool and we didn't know where he wound up."

Temari huffed in annoyance. "Great, just great. Typical of Gaara to walk off and do his own thing."

"You wanna go look for him?" I suggested to her.

"Ah why not? Figures I should talk to him, see how he's doing since the mission."

Seeing the tarp detail to the finish, the four of us decided to meander through the vehicles in search of Gaara. We went through the Jeeps and halftracks, doing our best to avoid Sakura's eagle eye, but to our fortune she was blabbing away with her boyfriend Sasuke. I saw the two just standing there, Sakura all over him like a fat kid on cake. I didn't know whether to envy him for having her or pity him for letting her wear the pants and probably get away with the occasional rape. "_That reminds me...note to self: keep your eye on Temari when going to sleep._"

"Where in the hell could he be?" Temari asked aloud, frustrated quite easily over this. "I swear Kankuro never had issues with him so why do I have them?" I dared not answer that question lest she bludgeon me with her Kar98k.

"Speaking of which, where is your other brother?" I couldn't help but ask.

"I don't know either. I swear since I joined you guys I've lost track of those two more that I care to admit. I blame you on this Shikamaru..."

"What? How am I at fault?!? I didn't do anything!"

She snickered, which then turned to a hearty laugh. "Wow you sure are gullible partner...wow..."

I sneered at her, upset to hear Shino and Kiba laughing at my expense.

"Actually Miss Temari, I heard from some of the guys he's with 1st squad doing ammo detail, catching up on lost time with Private Tenten." Shino said. I was a little surprised to hear such a respectful title for the Queen of Troublesome.

"Wait...who?" Temari asked.

"Oh Private Tenten. She's the woman with the Bazooka that seems to have taken a competitive fancy with your brother. Quite a good shot he is with his Panzerschreck, the 'tank terror' of the Sound arsenal so much that she's worried that her platoon 'Armor Slayer' title might be taken away from her. I can tell you Neji certainly isn't thrilled to see him so frequently."

"Great...more drama...seems like we're carrying around kegs of that everywhere we go." I said.

"Indeed."

We stopped suddenly, hearing some faint voices that sounded like they were underneath one of the halftracks.

"Ok, now what do I do?"

"Ok now that you have the wrench in place turn it clockwise until you can't anymore. Does it feel tight yet?"

Those voices...they sounded so familiar.

"Yes, now it does."

"Excellent, you just fixed your first tow hitch kid. Good job!"

A slight chuckle of newly formed confidence emerged. The four of us got closer to find, much to our surprise, Gaara with a smile and Sai of all people showing him the ropes of automotive repair.

"Holy shit...you can talk!" Kiba burst out to which a loud clang and a slew of curses immediately followed. Sai, holding his forehead, stomped towards Kiba. A stare-down lasted for about five seconds, Kiba apprehensive that Sai would do something, and then a good tap to Kiba's wounded side was all Sai needed to have him reeling in pain. I did my best to contain my laughter.

"Guess he didn't wanna talk no more did he eh Kiba?" I asked while Kiba was howling from the pain.

"Oh come now Kiba it wasn't that bad now was it?" Shino also asked him.

Sai looked down at him and then us. "I'm taking off now. Smartass, Manly Girl, Lazy..." he said to Shino, Temari, and I respectively and then walked off.

"Is he always so blunt like that?" Temari asked, dumbfounded by his name calling.

"I'd be lying to you if I said he wasn't." I replied.

"Damn..."

"Hey one of you guys mind fuckin' helping me up? I'm still alive here ya know!"

"Oh shit! Kiba I forgot you were there for a second. Here let's get you up." I said with fake surprise as Shino and I helped him to his feet.

"Real funny ya ass! Im'ma knock that Sai kid out one day."

"Easy there Cujo...let's save the violence for someone more deserving like the Soundies."

Gaara poked his head around one of the trucks.

"Hey Gaara! Where have ya been? I've been looking around for hours!" Temari moaned.

"It's none of your concern." He muttered.

"Well I am your sister remember? What were you doin'? Learning how to tinker with machines like these grease monkeys?"

He blushed a little bit and went on to screw around some more with the hood of one of the vehicles, carefully inspecting and going through all the engine parts, whispering what each part was to himself. I must say out of the time he's been with us this was the most focused he's been. I never heard much out of him as compared to Kankuro or Temari who could be real chatterboxes if they tried.

"Gaara...are you with us?" Temari continued to press on him.

"I'm ok Temari. Quit asking how I am."

"You seem to enjoy looking at all this stuff Gaara." I said not expecting a reply.

He paused for a second and then turned to us, looking more at Temari and Shino. "I like this stuff. The parts, the engines, the cold efficiency of it all, it feels good to work with. I never built anything or fixed anything, but I like working with these. Keeps my mind off of fighting...and killing...so please stop bothering me and let me relax for a change."

We didn't say anything. We weren't sure of what to say. It was weird seeing this kid take an interest in something outside of shooting and of all things being with the engineers.

"Hey! Eyebrows! C'mere and help me with this!" One of the engineers called him to where the Jeeps were. It must've been Sai that gave Gaara that nickname considering the lack of eyebrows he has. He scampered off where he was greeted by the soldier with a pat on the back and quickly got to work.

"Well that was interesting..." I said aloud.

"Hell I don't even know." Temari replied. Then it appeared like something dawned on her. "Well actually, I do remember Gaara loving it whenever our father would fly or drive somewhere as a little kid. I almost forgot since he lost interest in almost everything when he grew up and when our parents died."

"Sometimes it takes a while for a passion to be rekindled, be it with a person or an activity. Everyone needs to find a release from the stresses the conflict brings and if your brother, Miss Temari, finds solace in machinery then I say that's good for him. I assume that we were probably bothering him taking up his time with small chit-chat. My apologies if I were to say that he has seemed awfully cold since he became part of 2nd squad. Nevertheless we should respect his wishes am I right Kiba?"

I looked to Kiba who looked like he was staring off into space. He caught my gaze and shook his head to wake himself up. "Huh? I'm sorry, you say something Shino?"

Shino just sighed. I chuckled.

"So then...I guess we should finish this up so Sakura can let us go huh?" Kiba suggested.

"Good call, let's get to it then." I answered.

It took us a few more hours, some hard work, lots of rags, and some serious elbow grease but we managed to take care of most of the motor pool's leaks, fluids, tires, and engines. My fatigues were speckled with grease, gasoline, and carbon, the sweat from my pores not mixing well with the crap on my clothes. Temari, Shino, and Kiba were equally as filthy.

"Damn...if only time went by this quickly every time we were doing work!" Kiba yelled.

"I'm in agreement with you Kiba, and that's a rarity." Shino replied.

"Great job guys. I had my doubts Shikamaru but it looks like ya didn't turn sloth on me like I thought you would. Guess I owe Sergeant Sarutobi an apology huh?" Sakura said as she approached us with Sasuke.

"Ah Sasuke, I mean Sergeant Uchiha, how goes it?" I asked. Sasuke was only three years older than me but we still got along more than others despite his smoldering and angst-filled moods throughout the years. He could nevertheless be one of the boys if the mood struck him.

"Good as always Shikamaru." He took a look at Temari and then me again. "Just hangin' in there tryin' to endure the bullshit. Lee's been talking again about us movin' out soon so we can expect another action-packed mission soon."

"I can hardly wait."

"Neither can I Shikamaru...neither can I." He said with a hint of sarcasm, a man after my own heart. "Hey," he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and slapped one out, placed it on his lips and lit it, "ya think you can smuggle some of those smokes Sarutobi's got? The last pack I got came from one of the supply guys and it tastes like crap. Sarutobi's stuff is always great and Mitarashi's been on my ass about getting her one or two as well. Seeing how you two are buddy-buddy, how's about you sweet talk him into giving me a pack?"

"Sasuke!" Sakura yelled. "The last thing I need you to do is smoke more! I've been trying to get this man to stop for weeks and still no luck."

"Sorry babe I'm my own man. I do my own thing."

"The hell you are! You're my man Sasuke and don't you forget it!" She sternly said to him, grabbing him and getting him in a headlock. Boy I'd hate to be him right now, especially being a sergeant. "Who's my man? Who is it?" She tightened her grip, smearing oil and grease on his face and forcing him to drop the cigarette.

"I...I am."

"That's right...thank you babe." She let go and kissed him on the cheek. Wow what a scary broad.

"Hey Haruno! Got a package for you from the supply guys! Think you might like it!" Another one of her engineers yelled out to her. She playfully skipped off as if she was unaware she just choked out her boyfriend.

I turned to Sasuke. "Wow sergeant, with girlfriends like that I'm amazed you're still alive. Don't worry about the smokes...I'll figure something out."

"Thanks a million pal. God I hope that package isn't what I think it is..."

"OH HELL YES!" Sakura screamed, letting the entire motor pool know her presence as she quickly started running to us judging by the footstep sounds getting louder and louder.

"Ah shit..." he groaned.

"Hey boys...check me out!" Our eyes widened as she revealed herself, strapped with an all new M2 Flamethrower. Fuck...crazy PMS Sakura Haruno was back. I think I might actually pray for those poor Sound bastards that run afoul of her.

"Hot to the touch eh babe?" Sasuke asked watching her screw around with the fearsome weapon in an area away from the vehicles while we couldn't help but watch. She tested the spark and a small blue and yellow flame emerged underneath the main barrel. Her smile was wide from ear to ear.

"Ah the great persuader! So good to have ya back baby! Hey Engineers," she yelled to Sai and the rest, "when in doubt, burn 'em out! Ya got me?" They cheered her on like a pack of animals. The look in her eyes was wild, like a kid who just witnessed a fireworks show.

"Methinks it's time to leave eh Temari?" I whispered to her.

"A sound move Shikamaru."

"Hate to leave you with your...well with your girlfriend Sasuke, but Temari and I gotta go see Sarutobi. Have fun trying to stave off Sakura's pyromaniac urges m'kay?"

"Aw you can't leave me here hangin' Shikamaru!" Kiba whined.

"Sorry big guy, but me an' Temari gotta go now." We turned and started walking away.

"Hey Shikamaru!" Sasuke called as he jogged over to me. "One more thing..." he went up to my ear, "if I were you I'd keep your platform strong with that blonde over there. Don't wanna end up whipped like me I can assure you that."

"Preaching to the choir my good man...just go and ask my father!" We both laughed heartily.

"Hey Sasuke! C'mon! I swear I won't burn you!" Sakura called from the distance.

"Well I gotta go. Take it easy Shikamaru...Temari..."

We finally got back to where Sarutobi was. Sunset was approaching and the gentle chirping of the birds and the wind were all the noise that I could hear aside from the occasional loud laugh or shout from some obnoxious soldier.

"Glad to see Corporal Haruno put you to good work! I was just telling the rest of the squad what's going on." Sarutobi had us sitting around while most of the squad was noshing away at their tin rations. Temari and I couldn't help but get our own from a box near Toyama and dig in. Nothing spelled gourmet like beans and rice from a can.

"Well what is going on?"

"We're leaving...Able Company took off a couple hours ago to assist King Company clear some Sound positions. Those ANBU Rangers also took off right quick to go do some more secret shit so it's just Fox Company here. The MPs will be rolling in soon and can take care of the rest of the civilians. We've still got some work to do taking another God-forsaken hill. Seems like Colonel Jiraiya and the rest of the brass can't seem to stop obsessing over taking hill after hill only to leave it a few days afterwards."

"Wait a sec...but what about all the wounded like Choji?" I asked while looking at Choji. He was in better spirits but the dressings on his leg still gave evidence of a nasty wound.

"Of course they're coming with us, but they might be left out of some action so they don't get ever more fucked up am I right Private Akimichi?"

"That's right sergeant." Choji answered in disappointment. "But sergeant my leg's feelin' better now. I bet ya give me one more day I'll be back to normal."

"I'd love to give you the benefit of the doubt kid but if I say you're no good then you're no good. We'll see how ya do afterwards. Ok 3rd I hope all of your shit is squared away...is it?"

We all collectively nodded our heads.

"Good. We'll be moving out early in the morning tomorrow. The trucks are repaired and we've managed to consolidate our ammo. The crap the Soundies left here was also taken and now we've got some new toys to play with. Despite some losses I think we're doin' pretty good 3rd squad."

"Hey sergeant," Hanzo said, "what's the surprise you were talkin' about?"

"Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me." He got up from the box he was sitting on. "Check this shit out. The civilians were so grateful they gave this as part of a gift of gratitude." He opened it and inside was about a dozen bottles of what looked like high quality sake. Our eyes lit up like Christmas lights. "Ha! You thought I was gonna smoke you all weren't you? Let's have a few drinks shall we? For God's sake though...don't be stupid and let the LT or the captain know." He took out some small cups and began pouring sake into them. How could we refuse?

I must say as troublesome as my squad can be, being with them has its rewards. This hooch was some top notch shit, not the kind that Choji, Naruto, and I would try and sneak from our parents or other adults. Things got silly as we were singing and laughing at everything that came out of our mouths. Jokes about Choji's appetite, Ino's demeanor, and me and Temari were in full force, but I didn't care too much. After the night of pure shit, we needed this release. Temari and I were smiling, that warmth returning after many hours of tedium and/or awkwardness. I had the sudden urge to kiss her as she looked at me with her deep blue eyes, but I dared not with everyone around. A couple more hours passed as we continued our squad bonding. Sure it was a slow day and not much got accomplished but I didn't care one bit. For a long time I didn't feel apprehensive or edgy...then it hit me. Fuck...

The recollection of that dream again. I looked at my fellow squad members and then a quick flash of those demons with the bodies of my friends came into view again. "_Shit...what the hell was that? This must be some powerful sake._" I tried getting back into reality, but then a few minutes later Temari's voice kept replaying itself in my head, even if she was smiling and laughing at the moment when I looked at her. "_Will you be there for me Shikamaru? Will you protect me?_"

"_You keep trying to dodge the issue but one day it might creep up on you when you least expect it. I just pray you're ready when the time comes because in war, you never know when it'll come._"

I started to breathe heavily and my hands shook. I had no idea what was going on?

"Hey Shikamaru...are you ok?" Ino pondered. "That sake must be really getting to you...God damn."

"I, uh, I gotta go stand up and stretch for a second guys. I'll, um, I'll be right, uh, back." I got up and hurried to the outskirts, near the small stream. I took a deep breath and tried to gather my thoughts. "_What in the hell was that all about? That fucking dream again...why does it keep playing? What does it mean? What's going to happen? I need answers!_" My mind was wracked trying to figure it all out.

"Shikamaru!" Choji said behind me, limping his way to where I was sitting. "What the hell's going on man?"

"Sorry Choji...just some jitters I guess."

"Seems more like something else than jitters buddy. Anything else on your mind?"

I sighed. "Sorry Choji. You're my best friend and I should be honest. I had this awful dream last night. You and all my other friends were dead. Temari was sitting alone while the whole place looked like the apocalypse. Fucking demons were in there too! I was dying and they were about to kill Temari...and all the while she kept asking me questions about protecting her and you and shit. It scared me half to death is what it did, and it keeps drilling into my brain! Fuck even what Sarutobi's been telling me is in there."

"Maybe Sarutobi's right Shikamaru and you need to accept that. This war's been changing people left and right and you're just finally realizing that. Look at Naruto for example. I remember when he was obsessing over Sakura and now it took him all this to find his soul mate. The same shit's happening to you Shikamaru...look at Temari."

"Temari...talk about opening a whole new can of worms."

"Please Shikamaru. I've seen the way you look at her. You're falling for her aren't you?"

I took a deep breath and looked at him. "Honestly? Yes...yes I am. It bothers me to no end but for some reason I cannot shake this increasing bond I'm having with her. I mean it feels so good and so troublesome at the same time. I'm nervous Choji..."

"You're also in love Shikamaru. Never thought you'd hear that from me would ya huh?"

I laughed. "When you're right you're right...but what about that dream?"

"That I can't help you with a whole lot pal. You'll have to figure out what that means. Sarutobi has plans for you and I think your dream might be a warning of what could happen or what you need to man up and do."

"Hmmmm. Thank you Choji. I know I'm a big, cynical, pain in the ass sometimes but I'm glad to know I have a good friend like you." I grabbed his shoulder

"Friends gotta stick together in tough times, otherwise what good is a friend?"

"Truer words never spoken Choji."

"C'mon. Let's head back. We've got some alcohol in our system and we need some rest pronto."

"When it comes to sleep there's no need for a sales pitch Choji. You know me..."

"Perhaps better than you know yourself Shikamaru."

"Hey Nara! What gives man? You go and boot or something?" Sarutobi asked harassingly.

"Um...yeah. Must've been something I ate mixed with the sake. Sorry sergeant."

"It's all good. It's getting late anyway so how about you get some sleep huh? Ok 3rd, we're leaving at 0800 tomorrow so don't be late otherwise you'll be the newest addition to the MPs ya got that?"

"Yes sergeant."

"Get some sleep...dismissed."

I stumbled over to my sleeping spot and laid out my kit. No sign of Temari but it didn't matter. Perhaps the lack of her around might help me relax and shake off that dream. The sake was certainly working its magic in making me drowsy. A few deep breaths and I was out.

I slept quite peacefully that night. The dream didn't seem to come back to haunt me which was good. Nevertheless I had to seriously think about what it meant and what it could've possibly meant for me in the future.

"Hey Nara let's go! Room for one more!" Sarutobi screamed on the halftrack, patting the wooden bench he was sitting on. "_Looks like it was time to leave this place...a shame I never got to see that little girl again. Oh well...at least she's with her parents now._"

"Excuse me mister?" A gentleman said from behind me.

"Yes?"

"Our daughter...she says she knows you. Who is this sweetie?"

"Mr. Leaf Man..."

The man still looked haggard from being abducted. His wife, a fair and blonde woman stood right next to her. She looked at me.

"Our daughter told us all about a dark-haired soldier who gave her water and made her smile. She said that you'd bring us back and you did. Thank you. What is your name soldier?"

"Nara, Private Shikamaru Nara."

"Thank you Private Nara. You're a good man and may God bless you for watching over our little girl. Can you say thank you sweetie?"

The little girl smiled and walked over to me. She gave me a hug as tightly as she could. "Thank you for bringing my mommy and daddy back Mr. Leaf Man." I coulda sworn I almost cried. It was rare such touching moments came from such horrible times...it made me think that maybe there can be redemption for all of us, that not all of us are killers and can redeem ourselves from our faults.

"You're welcome little girl. What is your name anyway?"

"Her name is Hiromi."

"Hiromi huh?" I knelt down to the little girl, rubbing her blonde head with my hand gently. "Well you look after your parents. I have to go away for a while but I'll try and come back ok? Maybe one day you can be big and strong like me ok?" I said to her as I started to inch my way backwards.

"Ok Mr. Leaf Man. Bye Bye..." Her little hand rose to wave goodbye. I waved in return. "_Goodbye Hiromi. I hope you never have to go through what you did...ever again. You get big and strong like me ok?_"

I hopped on the halftrack. The hatchway door shut and we were ready to roll. Within a few minutes we were already moving, Hiromi's family still waving goodbye at me. The streets were packed with the parents and children of the town, shouting praises and throwing flowers at us. We were their saviors and they were eternally grateful. It put a smile on all our faces to see such joy...if only it could last longer. The joy was only superficial because we knew, unlike these people, we were going right back into the hell that was this war against the Sound.

"Well Nara...it seems you have the eternal gratitude of a family. She might be only four or five, but I don't think she'll ever forget you."

"I hope not sergeant...I hope not."

"Oh by the way...I forgot. I had another surprise. Close your eyes and stick out your hand."

"Say what?"

"Just do it."

I closed my eyes and stuck out my hand like he said. I heard some ruffling and chatter amongst the rest of the squad.

"Here you are Nara...your surprise." He placed something cloth-like on my hand. I rubbed my fingers on it to get a mental image. I gulped in shock while the rest of the squad, including Temari, cheered.

"You can open your eyes now...Corporal Nara."


	15. Chapter 15

No way. No fucking way he did. "_Sarutobi...how could he? He made me corporal, and behind my back too?!?_" My mind swarmed with thoughts and enough curses to fill a dictionary with. Tricky son of a bitch...he must've gotten the promotion signed by Captain Hatake and 2LT Lee while I was busy or sleeping. Shit, I guess the times he said he might've been putting me in for Corporal weren't just bullshit. I just didn't understand why he keeps one selecting me as his personal torture toy. Sure you'd think a promotion to a junior NCO spot would be fine and dandy, but oh not to me in the slightest. I said it before, the less responsibility I have to deal with the better, but apparently my beloved mentor and squad leader doesn't seem to really pick up on that.  
"Well...how about it...corporal? How do ya feel?" The man who felt it necessary to put me in places I never wanted to be in asked me, the man who I was totally convinced got off on my personal annoyances, asked me.  
While the halftrack sped down the road, bouncing up and down along the dirt, I looked around at my squad who had nothing but congratulatory smiles for me. Even Ino and Temari were excited to see my newly elevated status.  
"You're not just some buck private anymore Nara...you're my right hand man." The sergeant continued to prattle on in front of me. "So whaddaya think?"  
"Sergeant...you actually went through the trouble of doing this? I can't believe it." I answered as I continued to inspect the two cloth insignias of the double-chevron. I dared not reject it lest I face Sarutobi's wrath and there was also the glaring fact that the captain himself had authorized this. "But what about being the squad sniper sergeant? I don't wanna lose my role."  
"No worries Nara. Your rifle will still be with you and you've always got your lady friend Temari as your backup. This rank just means you'll have a little more responsibility and it means I can trust you to lead these guys when I'm not around."  
"Way to go Shikamaru!" Choji yelled.  
"Yeah top notch Shikamaru!" Hanzo added.  
Ino snickered. "Well I'll be damned Shikamaru! Looks like fate decided to bite you in the ass again huh? Just make sure that increased rank doesn't increase your laziness or your jackassery."  
"Yamanaka..." Sarutobi said.  
"Oh all right...congrats Shikamaru."  
"Thanks guys." I looked straight ahead to Temari who was just looking at me in her sassy but amicable look. A gentle grin was all I needed to be convinced she was just as happy to see my advancement. "_So now I'm a corporal huh? Well even if I don't want this rank I can't disappoint the sergeant, and I can't disappoint Temari. Nothing like increased responsibility to add to the weight of the already heavy burdens of staying alive, pleasing the sergeant, and now being in Temari's good graces. I say it's so troublesome sometimes...what a drag._"  
The trucks continued to toss us around as bumps and potholes plagued our every turn. It was a beautiful and sunny day  
"Well then corporal, I guess you're probably wondering, with that flashy new rank of yours, where we're going and what you're gonna do huh?" Sarutobi chuckled.  
"Did you seriously ask me that sergeant?" I asked which killed his laughter right quick.  
"Nara...God damn it. Sometimes I wonder how you got this far in life being such a smartass."  
"I guess it's by the grace of the Almighty that I continue to live to annoy you sergeant." I responded again in a sarcastic manner.  
"You know, I could say the same about myself towards you."  
"Touché."   
"But in all seriousness 3rd, we're tasked with taking and holding another hill. Like I said last night Able Company is busy with King Company taking some strategic bullshit so this time we gotta slug this one out. The hill is Hill #404. We don't know a whole lot about it outside of the fact it supposedly holds a great location for artillery and the tops think that it'd be a fitting present for X-Ray Battery for our siege of Takigakure."  
"Wonderful sergeant," Ino sided, "but what about the possibility that we poor saps might get leveled with the Soundie howitzers?"  
"Ah I'm glad you mentioned that Yamanaka. For the sake of not completely fucking us over, Colonel Tsunade gave Captain Hatake command over a flight of Thunderbolt fighter-bombers. Here's a funny little ditty. Turns out Sergeant Morino's little brother, Captain Idate Morino is the flight leader! Those Air Corps sons a' bitches can take the youngest buck airman and make him a major in only a year!" His remark caused some laughter amongst the squad since we all knew the Konoha Air Corps was truly like that. You could have a grizzled, veteran, thirty-five year old buck sergeant from the Konoha Army and then on the other side you could have a clean-shaven kid my age and he'll go from a lieutenant to a major in less than two years. Injustice I tell you...  
"So sergeant I assume these fighters will be the replacement for the tanks? What about our own artillery?" Temari asked.  
"Well that's the problem. The Soundies have a couple 15cm cannons and there's possibility of some 17cm Ks there too. Those bad boys are capable of hitting our Long Toms."  
"Better to attack from where they cannot reach...the air." I assumed.  
"Precisely Corporal Nara! If we can strike the 17cm guns first with the Thunderbolts then X-Ray can move in with the Long Toms it has and lend us a hand.  
"So...how does that make us safe from their range right now? How far away are these guys?" I asked.  
"From the look on the map they're about 40 kilometers to the northeast. Our field HQ that the scouting party found is 15 kilometers northwest of here so just to assure you 3rd Squad we will not be in their gun ranges."  
A collective sigh of relief came from the lot of us.  
"Nevertheless, this is gonna be a tight operation boys and girls. These planes have a limited arsenal and a limited time to be here so two will come in to strike before we even get close and then another two to assist us initially."  
"What that's it sergeant? Just two sorties from the flyboys and that's it?" Isshiki complained.  
"Well now I heard the possibility that if we need more support they can lend another two to punch some holes but afterwards it'll be a slugfest." The mood became silent. "I know what you're thinking guys...our fate lies with the angels in the skies. If they can get those guns then we're good, otherwise I can't promise you that it'll be easy. I'll be going over how we'll go about this when we reach the HQ."

With that final statement the rest of the ride got real quiet. After about thirty minutes the HQ was within sight. The HQ was nothing more than a group of garrisoned houses but it was better than nothing. Already supply trains were unloading and troops were hustling around. It'd be here that we launch our attack on the hill, but it seemed so dangerous even with the Air Corps assisting us. Our forces were stretched thin and relying on an infantry company, a flight of Thunderbolts, and the possibility of help from an artillery battery, to take and hold a hill from the Soundies, already aware of our presence, was becoming more of a pipe dream.  
The trucks pulled into the motor pool by formation. One by one we all poured out of the halftracks and got in formation. All the platoons were there, standing at the ready for the captain's call.  
"Fox Company, attention!" First Sergeant Guy bellowed. We froze up while he turned and saluted Captain Hatake.  
"At ease." The company all moved in unison. "Fox Company...I first want to congratulate you on a successful mission to liberate the people of that village. It was not only a miracle that we slipped in with no one noticing, but it was also a miracle that we could save them all. Though we lost some good soldiers, their sacrifice was not in vain..."  
"_Oh great...another soapbox speech...what a drag._" I thought.  
"We did a great thing Fox Company and when the history books are written they will mark that down for all to read about. We will be remembered as the liberators of the imprisoned Waterfall citizens. I could not be more proud to be serving with such fine soldiers and though I wish this war would be over like the lot of you, I can only take us one step closer. About 55 kilometers from this location lies a hill of great importance. Hill #404 lies on a crest overlooking the Waterfall capital city, Takigakure. This hill needs to be taken for our artillery batteries to get a good vantage point on the city before the joint attack."  
"Joint attack?" I questioned quietly.  
"You know Nara, the Water forces...they're coming too."  
"Oh..."  
"Though it is hard to do so, I ask for your hard work again in taking this hill. It will not be difficult but with the help of the Air Corps and X-Ray, we'll give the Soundies one hell of a fight. We move out in 3 hours. Platoon leaders and platoon sergeants, inspect your men and women and go over the plans that I gave you. Fall out!"  
2nd Platoon formed in a circle surrounding Sergeant Yamato and 2LT Lee. There wasn't much chatter as there was much to be done and the last thing Yamato wanted to do was waste time gabbing.  
"Ok 2nd bring it in!" Lee yelled. "Ok this is going to be a rough one but I'm sure we can manage. Now Captain Hatake mentioned that the Air Corps will be assisting. That is correct. Captain Idate Morino will personally command the first iteration of attacks." After that I could've sworn I heard Sergeant Morino grumble something under his breath, most likely something very unkind.  
"The first two P-47 Thunderbolts will be making passes at their artillery pieces before we even get near them. With luck they can knock out their 17cm guns. We don't know how many guns they have so the whole area has to be saturated with air ordnance. During our initial movement another iteration of air attack will commence to give us some time to close in before their guns can get a bead on us. Without the Thunderbolts we'd be as good as dead so we have to use them to the fullest. When we've reached within a kilometer or two of the hill we have to disembark ASAP and spread out to the nearest cover. The hill hasn't been completely cleared so we have to make use of the trees and whatever obstacles they might have. We'll be assaulting from the right flank, 4th Platoon will attack from the left, and 1st and 3rd Platoons will be the primary assault force. I have no doubt the Soundies will have mortars and many other nasty devices to prevent our success. We have to close in destroy any and all resistance. Our climb will be frought with obstacles and heavy resistance. The company engineers will be dispersed to clear the wires and destroy any key infrastructure that they want and we don't need. Mortar sections will be placed behind the assault elements to establish a fire for effect blanket of ordnance. This hill has to be held the very minute we capture it! If the 17cm guns are confirmed to be destroyed then X-Ray Battery will do everything in its power to unleash some of the big guns on the Sound positions. This will not be pretty 2nd Platoon...it won't be pretty at all, but I know we can do it. We've gone through horrible times and survived, so we can pull through this one. Where surprise and overwhelming force were the keys in taking Hill #367, the keys in taking this are speed and ferocity. 1st and 2nd squads will assault through the small patch of trees located near the crest of the hill. 3rd and 4th squads will accompany the engineers in breaching and trench clearing by assaulting their most weakly defended areas. Our aerial recon indicates that their weakest spot is somewhere along a patch of small pockmarks most likely from initial artillery strikes in the beginning of the war. If we are to succeed we need to take advantage of as much cover as possible using these impact craters and whatever else the slopes can give us. I want immediate bases of fire established on enemy MG positions. Snipers, MGs, and even anti-armor elements will be mostly responsible for taking care of these. Medics must be behind cover as much as possible! I cannot risk losing any more medical staff since that last operation so everyone else must protect them as a top priority. I should also note two large command structures overlooking the crest of the hill. We need any and all intelligence inside taken securely. If the Soundies have any plans to Takigakure that might impede our siege, then by all means we must take them! Squad leaders, go over your rehearsals and designate your soldiers with their proper tasks. We get back together in two hours to load up. Get to it! 2nd Platoon, fall out."

The sergeants yelled for their respective men and women to fall in ranks soon after. Shino, Kiba, Tenten, Hinata and the rest veered off to the left side of our platoon area. Sarutobi called for us right near where Sergeant Mitarashi had assembled her squad. Since we'd both be in this spat together we might as well be practicing together too. I would've thought given the hits she took she'd be out of this but she's as stubborn as an ox. Going through the actual drills and contingencies were about as redundant as a skipping record, but every one of us knew how important they were. Choji seemed to be faring better despite his injury. I could see his combat role being very limited but nonetheless vital and knowing him he wouldn't like to be kept out of the fight. We'd have to keep him more towards the rear of the squad and keep him as a complete support role. I could see the look of frustration and impatience on that boy Konohamaru's face. That naive little sap...he still has no idea what this shit is really like.  
"Hey you! Private! C'mere!" Sarutobi yelled out.  
"Who me?" Naruto responded.  
"No not you Uzumaki...the one next to you, the brown-haired squirt."  
"I think that'd be you Konohamaru."  
The boy gulped as if he'd just been caught by the police stealing a car. He hesitated to get up.  
"C'mon private...Sergeant Sarutobi just gave you an order so move it!" Mitarashi yelled to him. Nervously he got up and walked over. Sarutobi took a good look at him, as if it was someone he knew.  
"How old are you boy?"  
"Um, I'm nineteen sergeant."  
"Really? Uzumaki, Nara, come with me...everyone else take five."  
"You heard him guys...take this rest now because I'm not gonna give any!" Mitarashi said.  
The squads chatted with each other taking advantage of Sarutobi's charity. Naruto and I walked over to Sarutobi, quite curious why he called us to accompany him. We walked about fifty yards away when he stopped to turn to Konohamaru, arms crossed and as stern looking as a mother eagle.  
"I'll ask you again boy...how old are you?"  
"Nineteen sergeant..."  
"Bullshit...you're not fooling anyone Konohamaru. One more time...how old are you?"  
"Fine then sergeant..." he sighed deeply, "I'm sixteen."  
"Don't ever lie to me like that! That's insulting not only as one of your superiors, but as your uncle too."  
Naruto and I shook our heads in bewilderment. Sarutobi was an uncle and Konohamaru was his nephew?  
"What do you think you're doing here? You lied about your age so you could fight? I bet your two friends did exactly the same huh?"  
"Yes...but I wanted to fight Uncle Asuma!"  
"That's sergeant here Konohamaru! We're not back home anymore! Do you have any idea what your mother and father must be going through? Do they even know you ran off to enlist?!?"  
"I'm sorry...sergeant. I wanted to fight for Konoha! I wanted to fight for my family and grandpa! I didn't want to just stand by back home and not do my part to beat the Soundies!"  
"Well lying about your age and most likely having your family worried sick were certainly not the ways to support the cause!"  
"But..."  
"But nothing! If I had the power I'd ship you right back to Konoha where you belong but you're with us now and I'm so pissed at you. Uzumaki! Nara!"  
"Yes sergeant?" We asked in near unison. He pulled us over to the side.  
"I want you two, especially you Private Uzumaki, to make sure nothing happens to this kid. So help me God if something does I'll wring your necks before my family does mine!" Truth be told I never saw Sarutobi this angry towards any soldier in our army. Sure I've seen him pissed at the Soundies and agitated from a smartass comment me or Ino threw in, but this was about family...an overeager boy who was way too young to be wielding a rifle confronted by his wise, ornery, but concerned uncle. "Konohamaru, this is war. This is not a game and this is in no way, shape, or form, somewhere to seek glory. There's no glory here son, just a lot of destruction on humanity...do you understand?"  
He gulped again nervously, looking like he was about to wet his pants. "Yes...s-sergeant."  
"Go back to Sergeant Mitarashi. I'll join the rest of them in a few."  
The boy took off with his tail between his legs. I turned to face Sarutobi who looked rather surprised to see my shocked reaction of his treatment towards his nephew. Stone-faced, he huffed and lit up one of his cigarettes.  
"Sergeant, can I be honest with you?" I asked.  
"Would I prefer you lie to me Nara?"  
"Pardon me putting my two cents in, but that was rather harsh, and to your nephew nonetheless. I mean, yeah he's too young for this but ya didn't have to berate him like that. I'm also surprised you didn't notice him until now."  
"Oh I did...I saw it after he snuck into our ranks but I knew it was him the second I caught glimpse. I didn't yell at him out of spite. I yelled at him out of concern. The boy's eager I'll give him that but at age sixteen he should be in high school! He should be playing sports, doing fundraisers, dating girls like his friend Moegi...not this shit! Now he and those other two are stuck here and I'll be damned if I let any harm come to him. Nara, I dragged you and Uzumaki into this because first, my nephew seems to admire your friend Uzumaki and will most likely follow him and since your friend seems near invincible that might rub off on him. Second, if you're gonna be sergeant one day you have to learn to be rough sometimes, even to family."  
"Doesn't really seem like much of a lesson. He's a kid who got swept up by patriotism. What about the Sand kid Gaara? He's practically near the same age!"  
"Well corporal," as his tone became more aggressive, "your paramour's little brother didn't really have a choice now did he? My nephew did have a choice and he chose the wrong one. I see my nephew and then I see naive, youthful ambition, a thirst for action and glory that quite honestly envelops everyone his age. I know you're an exception amongst many of your peers, but being that impressionable and overeager will end up usually with tragedy. Yeah I was harsh towards him but he'll see that this war was no place for him or his friends. Jesus...to coin you, what a drag."  
"Well what are ya planning on doing with him sergeant?" Naruto asked.  
"Well he stays here...it's as simple as that. We can't put the brakes on the operation just for some kids. Fuck...it had to be my nephew! My fucking family member! You know what? I have no idea why I dragged you two in this...I shouldn't have. I was just bullshitting before.."  
"We'll look after him sergeant. I'll make sure he lives through this." Naruto said in an attempt to assure him. "I know you and the other NCOs think I'm a nitwit but I won't go back on my word..."  
Sarutobi chuckled. "Oh private, you've got guts and will and I admire that. I can see why the captain promoted you on the spot after that church battle. Ok...I'll hold you to your word. Nara, I want you to look after the boy as well. Consider it another test for your new rank."  
"_Jeez thanks Sarutobi...and the little bugger's not even in my squad._"  
"We should be getting back to the drills huh gentlemen?" Sarutobi suggested.  
"I agree."  
We spent about another hour practicing. The nervous pounding of my chest grew even stronger...it was almost game time. A few minutes later we heard a loud droning noise...two objects in the distance.  
"Oh...that must be them." Sergeant Mitarashi assumed.  
Closer and closer the objects in the sky got.  
"You are correct Anko...that's them all right, and my asshole brother." Sergeant Morino confirmed with a stern look on his face.  
"Jealous much Ibiki?" She playfully asked.  
"Pfft! Hardly..."  
The cheers from our camp grew wild as the Thunderbolts passed overhead, doubtless about to rip the Soundies a new one. There were only two of them but they still packed a punch. I only hoped the Soundie anti-aircraft capabilities were non-existent so we can have another nice one-sided fight like last time. The excitement was short lived however, as Lee's whistle blew and the engines of the halftracks started. It was time to move.  
"All right 2nd! It's time to load up! Make all necessary ammo, weapons, and equipment checks and load the halftracks on the double! Squad leaders I want full accountability before we move!" Sergeant Yamato screamed over the hum of the engines. We made our way to load up as soon as possible, Sarutobi, Ino and the rest already boarding.  
"Hey Shino!" I yelled.  
"Ah Shikamaru! What can I do you for?"  
"Um...this may sound strange, but that prayer book of yours..."  
"Yes?"  
"Ya think you got anything in there I might like?"  
"Why this is odd...I would never have expected the platoon cynic in need of a spiritual pick-me-up." He grinned. "Sure thing, here...take this one. You'll like it." He tore a page from the dingy scrapbook and handed it to me. It looked crumped and the writing was plentiful, but I appreciated it nonetheless.  
"Thanks Shino...and good luck."  
"And the same to you Corporal Nara." He walked off to hop on his squad's truck.  
"Game time again Naruto..." I said as we sauntered over to our trucks.  
"Game time indeed Shikamaru."  
"Naruto!" Hinata yelled running up to us. "Naruto, Shikamaru, please be ca-careful."  
"You too Hinata. You protect yourself behind whatever you can. Don't go running off to save me again...I'll be fine. If I'm in danger don't run into the fire to save me and get yourself killed. If you're in danger, just stay behind something and stay back. I'll come for you...I promise."  
"No Naruto...I need to f-fight. I understand your concern...b-b-but this is my battle as m-much as it is yours. You t-taught me to be brave an-and how to stand up for m-myself."  
"But last night Hinata...you were so shaken up, so scared. I don't want to see you like that again. You mean too much to me. I can't deal with that look on your face and as much as you want to fight I'm quite frankly worried that..." Naruto continued to trail off explaining how he all of a sudden became more than concerned for Hinata's safety. It was probably a combination of guilt over how she risked life and limb to save him back in the Cloud Village and the close call during the prisoner rescue. Hinata's face turned bolder as if someone flicked a switch that turned on her determination.  
"Naruto!" He stopped talking. "Naruto, I love you and I hope everyone, including the captain, knows that." She grasped his hand with hers. "I need to fight to become brave like you Naruto. I'm tired of being thought of as weak or timid. Konoha may have made me a medic...but Konoha also put a rifle in my hands just as much as it did yours." She looked down to her M1 Carbine and looked at Naruto's B.A.R. "I took an oath to defend Konoha and I'm tired of being afraid to do it. I'm tired of being near the point of tears if I'm shot at. I'm tired of wallowing in my mind wishing it would all just go away! With my rifle and whatever else God gave me, I swear I will not be cowardly ever again!"  
She wasn't stuttering again. The only other time she never stuttered was when Naruto was comatose.  
"Hinata..." He said softly as he tightened his grip on Hinata's hand as she trembled for a second.  
"I won't be what everyone expects me to be Naruto. I won't let fear grip me and let people die while I'm around. You came to my rescue when I couldn't get up and fight in the Cloud Village and when Neji confronted me and you promised that you'd never let anyone touch me like that again. Naruto, I've found my purpose...and that's to heal and protect...and I found it through you. You want to protect me from harm do you? Well let me do the same for you..."  
Naruto smiled. "Ok...we'll protect each other at all costs, even if it means death. I love you Hinata."  
"I love you too Naruto." The two kissed for a few seconds.  
"Hey you three! C'mon Hyuga you're burning time!" Sasuke screamed.  
"Well...you heard him. Let's do this Hinata...Shikamaru."  
"Yes," I agreed, "let's do this."  
Naruto and Hinata parted with their hands gliding off each other. I turned to my truck and while I approached the loading platform, I turned to see Naruto board his truck. "_Naruto...looks like your little lady keeps getting stronger all thanks to you..._"  
"Hey partner! You comin' or what?" Temari asked with a hand extended outwards to help me up. "_And speaking of little ladies..._" I grabbed her hand and planted my foot on the latch, hoisting myself up with her help.  
"Thanks."  
"Don't mention it. You ready?"  
"I'm about as ready as I'll ever be..."

I couldn't stop my heart from beating out of its chest. I used to remember when I was a kid that it was always easy to avoid a scuffle, that it was too troublesome to bother getting your hands dirty. Seems like I couldn't make that decision anymore. It had already been about thirty minutes on the road and Hill #404. The first iteration of planes had left while the second was soon on its way. The radio was alive with chatter between the captain and the LTs.  
"Leaf 1 through 4, this is Great Tree. Objective sighted...no sign of artillery. Stay sharp and maintain your distance intervals. Second fighter wave will arrive in T-minus ten minutes, over." Captain Hatake said.  
"Roger Great Tree this is Leaf 1. Maintaining contact with 3rd Platoon, over."  
"This is Leaf 4...moving towards left flank...awaiting your command."  
"Great Tree this is Leaf 2," Lee's voice emitted over the radio, "approaching right flank in fifteen minutes. We won't disappoint you."  
"Leaf 1 through 4, maintain platoon and squad discipline. Use the Thunderbolt attack to move in quickly and assault your respective objectives. May the Almighty watch over us all..." Suddenly a new voice emerged in the radio traffic.  
"Hello there Great Tree, this is Captain Morino of the 102nd Konoha Fighter Wing. I heard you'll be needin' some assistance in giving the Soundies a hurtin'. Well don't you worry your pretty little heads Fox Company, we'll be there in less than ten minutes to deliver them some special air mail, over."  
"Greetings Captain Morino this is Great Tree. We'll be assaulting while you provide assistance. Please watch your targets and take out as much artillery guns as possible."  
"Roger that Great Tree. Christmas comes early for Fox Company...oh and tell Sergeant Morino his baby brother says hello and the view from up here is terrific!" That last piece of messaging got a laugh out of everyone in the truck. I'm sure Sergeant Morino wasn't laughing.  
Sarutobi scanned his watch. "10 minutes 3rd squad!"  
Fumbling through my pockets, I quickly opened up Shino's prayer he gave me, reading it to find some sort of comfort in a higher power. I read the passage, my lips moving along with the words.  
"_Oh God, I walk the path beset by my enemies, those who would curse and cast me down. I fear not for I carry out your will upon the evil and wicked. Blessed be the guardians of justice and righteousness, for the Lord shall shield them from the arrows of the wicked. Blessed be those who fight for the freedom of all, for the Lord shall give them courage to carry through the darkness. Blessed be those who protect the weak and defenseless, for the Lord shall give them strength. Blessed be those who sacrifice in the name of good, for the Lord shall reward them in their hour of judgement. Lord, give unto me the strength to fight in your name, to fight evil wherever it may lurk. Give unto me the wisdom to guide myself and others into the light. Give unto me the compassion to be kind and merciful to the weak and the repentant, to friend and foe alike. Give unto me love eternal, so that my heart may never truly die and that my love will heal the dying in spirit. Give unto me the bravery to stand tall in the face of death, for the victory of the righteous is soon at hand. The road of life is frought with danger, sin, and death, but I do not fear for you are with me. With sword and shield, I ask for your blessing to fight for the good of all mankind and to protect all those dear to me with my life. For these things I pray to you oh Lord. Amen._"  
The words, though dramatic, were nonetheless striking a chord with me. The conversation between Naruto and Hinata, where Hinata said she wanted to protect, where Naruto would sacrifice himself for her or his friends, played itself in my head. "_Would I do the same? Would I protect those dear to me with my life? Would I sacrifice myself to save Sarutobi, Ino, Naruto...or Choji...or...Temari?_" I was never really a religious person my whole life, but to think that there was the possibility of a benevolent entity who watched over me and gave me assurance that I mattered made me more confident in myself. Naruto and Hinata were right. We all had to protect each other and fight for the good of mankind, even if it did involve killing others. It sucked but some things are worth dying and killing for, justice and freedom being two of those things. My mind snapped back into reality when the loud engine roar of the two Thunderbolts screamed over my head. In an instant their guns were ablaze, tearing up the landscape and whatever other poor things were in its path. The faint whistle of bombs came to my ears as seconds later the ground shook from the explosion. I recited the prayer in my head again, my hand shaking uncontrollably. Then a hand grasped mine, soft and delicate. I turned to see Temari next to me, gripping my hand ever so tightly.  
"It's ok Shikamaru, we'll get through this I know it. We have to watch each other's back and whatever happens out there, we have to stick together! I'll make sure nothing happens to you...besides I owe for for that prisoner rescue save remember?" She winked at me.  
"You don't owe me anything Temari...let's clean the slate m'kay?"

"They're poundin' 'em to hell over there Shikamaru!" Toyama exclaimed, excited by the spectacle of it all.  
Suddenly another explosion rocked the ground. One of 3rd Platoons trucks had been hit! The Soundies had spotted us and were using what artillery they had left on us! The truck blew into thirds, sending shrapnel, wood, and bodies flying. I stared in horror as our company had just lost ten soldiers in an instant.  
"Great Tree this is Leaf 3! We've been hit I repeat we've been hit! We just lost 1st Squad!"   
"Keep moving Leaf 3! We have to get out of their gun range! All units, conduct evasive action now! We must reach this hill!"  
Immediately after that transmission more chunks of earth kicked up as the Sound guns brought down the rain of fire on us. This was bad...really bad.  
"2 minutes 3rd squad! We have 2 minutes before dismount! Stay close, get low and for God's sake stay alive!" Sarutobi yelled over the chaos. The halftracks did their best to maneuver while the rest of us in the back kept our heads down. The planes above strafed the ground as best they could to cover our movement. "One minute!"  
Our rides veered right and got to wherever they thought the best place to dismount would be. I looked off in the distance to see another halftrack survive an artillery hit but fell on its side and skidded. The troops were pouring out and feverishly rushing behind it for cover. A couple soldiers went down in the process...damn it...  
"Leaf 2 to all squads! Dismount! Dismount!"  
"Move it 3rd squad! Get off the sides and get to cover!"  
"2nd PLATOON! MOVE UP THE HILL!"  
While 1st and 2nd squads made a mad dash for the small patch of woods, the rest of us were left in the open. The reports of rifle fire were heard from the hill as they had been expecting us. Sporadic fire was returned on them but we couldn't do much on the move.  
"KEEP MOVING! GET TO THAT SLOPE!"  
"C'mon Temari...we gotta keep up with the sergeant!" I yelled, huffing and puffing from the sprinting. I took a knee for a brief second to line up on a rifleman and a second later with one trigger squeeze I got one defender out of action. The roars of the cannon fire were almost too much to bear. Luckily we were close enough so that they couldn't use them. Sadly the whirring of other ordnance meant they had mortars.  
"RUN THROUGH THE MORTARS! TAKE COVER IN THE DEPRESSION!" Lee bellowed as mortar fire rained on us along with small arms fire. A lucky shot sent a member of 1st squad flying through the air, his legs cut off from the knee down. The hill was just within range. Doing the best acrobatics I could, I dove straight into the ground, the impact nearly breaking my shoulder. Luckily we were out of the sights of their MG teams. A bullet struck Toyama in the left arm as he spun around and landed right by my feet. Ino grabbed his collar and dragged him over.  
"Fuck! I've been hit! Ah shit it hurts!" He screamed in agony.  
"Hold still will ya?" Ino yelled in reply as she did her best to bandage him while laying as flat as possible at the same time.  
"This isn't good sergeant." I said.  
"Yeah no shit...we have to find a way to break through. Those planes didn't hit much outside of the guns."  
Meahwhile our own mortars could barely set up with the harrassing fire being poured on them. The second Sarutobi mentioned the planes one of the Thunderbolts made a pass right above us, tearing the ground up with its cannons.  
"Wow talk about luck! Sir what do you want us to do?"  
2LT Lee poked his head up over the small patch of cover and jerked back down. "Machine gunners, focus on any MG, mortar, or sandbag position. We need support by fire to keep their heads down so we can clear the first trenchline. I want grenades in and then sweeps you got it?"  
"Yes sir!" Sarutobi and Sergeant Mitarashi yelled.  
"Akimichi get your .30 cal ready and establish a base of fire on their positions."  
"On it sergeant!" I must say for a guy who got shot in the shin area two nights ago he was certainly mobile. Ino and Isshiki scrambed to load his ammo while he got the gun in place. "Ready!"  
"On my signal we move..." Sarutobi raised his hand slightly while Choji got his eyes in the crosshairs. With his hand down, we leapt up while Choji and 4th's gunner blazed away, already taking down two Soundies.  
"Move guys move!" I screamed. "Temari and Hanzo, you stay with me. The sergeant will handle the rest!"  
"Stay in bounds! Get within grenade range!" Mitarashi screamed as we climbed up. The engine roars of the two Thunderbolts passed overhead while our mortars finally got some rounds in on the hill itself. Dirt and debris sprayed everywhere, raining down on our heads as we furiosly ran up. Naruto and Ayako poured support fire on a few attacking enemies and taking them down in the process. One managed to duck behind the trenchline and toss a grenade.  
"Oh shit take cover!" Isshiki screamed as it landed near Naruto and Konohamaru. Temari and I dove straight into the ground again.   
Furious, Naruto scooped up the grenade. "Aw fuck you!" He yelled as he tossed it right back, the grenade going off just in time over the trench. Whether or not it killed any Soundies I had no idea but I was awestruck to see such quick thinking on his part...and Konohamaru felt the same thing as his mouth was open in amazement. Choji and the other gunner were busy keeping any flanking Soundies off us while I heard the faint cracking of rifle fire to my left. Looks like 1st and 2nd squads were also having some excitement. They were only about a hundred meters away.  
"3rd squad break left while 4th goes right!" Lee ordered.  
"Nara! I'm going back for Akimichi, Toyama, and Yamanaka! Take the rest and clear the trench!"  
"Get some grenades in there now!" I yelled as I grabbed one myself along with Temari, Hanzo, and Isshiki. A quick pull of the pin and throw. "FIRE IN THE HOLE!"  
The rest of them followed my example. One explosion...two...three...four! "All right move through 3rd! Quickly!" We bumrushed the trenchline, rolling right into it and running down the passage way. Hanzo, Temari and I scanned forward while Isshiki kept the Soundies above us down. A few Soundies came to greet us but Hanzo's quick trigger finger killed all three in just a few shots. A mortar position was just up ahead but they had gotten sight of our assault and were prepared. We hugged the walls while they took potshots at us in an attempt to keep us busy while they fled.  
"We got runners!" I yelled.  
Temari and Isshiki lined up and took down two of them as they tried to get away. I primed another grenade and threw it at the rest of the mortar group, killing them instantly. "Move! Get to the mortar!"  
We ran like hell, staying low while the Soundies kept pouring fire on us. I had lost sight of Sarutobi but I assumed he was ok along with Toyama, Ino, and Choji.  
"Is it intact?" Hanzo asked.  
I carefully inspected the mortar system, pushing a dead Soundie off one of the platforms. Everything looked ok. Without warning a hailstorm of bullets came tearing up the ground in front of us. "Shit get down!" I screamed and just in the nick of time the MG42 fire streamed right above us. We dared not get up lest the enemy gunner knock our head off. A small but thick trail of smoke flew from the woods and into the sandbag position, sending one Soundie in the air about ten feet while another flew right into our line. Poor bastard never got up as Sergeant Mitarashi perforated him with bullets.  
"We can thank Tenten for that one fellas." Isshiki sided. "Now can we use this mortar?"  
I looked around for rounds and found a crate full of them. "We sure as hell can...anyone know how to use this?" I got blank faces all around. "Shit...Temari you mind giving me a hand? You two cover us!" We turned the mortar tube the other way and tried to figure out how best to aim it.  
"Here goes nothing...fire in the hole!" I said as I slid the first mortar in the tube, turning and covering my ears. A few seconds later it landed in some indiscriminate patch of earth at the top...nowhere near the second trench.  
"Nice shot deadeye!" Isshiki sarcastically sneered.  
"I'm a fucking sniper not a mortar team asshole!"  
"Here I'll try an adjustment." Temari fiddled with the tube angle and direction.  
"Firing!" I slid another mortar in. A few seconds later it landed closer to where we wanted, and much to our fortune right next to a small Soundie formation, killing them or severely wounding them.  
"Much better Nara! Let's keep it rainin' on these bastards!"  
With Temari setting the adjustments and myself loading the rounds, we made a pretty decent mortar team when not working as snipers. Rain in on them we did and quite effectively. Sadly the party didn't last too long as a Panzerschrek-wielding soldier got the drop on us and all we could do was stare in horror.  
"GUYS...BAIL...NOW!" I screamed as we all ran and dove for cover away from the mortar position. The rocket screeched towards where we were and blew the place to bits. A sharp, hot pain seared through my hip as a small chunk of hot metal stuck inside me. The pain was intense but my adrenaline kept me from freaking out. "AHHHHH! Motherfucker that hurts!"  
"SHIKAMARU!" Temari screamed.  
"Gahhhh! I'm ok...kill that asshole will ya partner?"  
She swung around as the rocket soldier tried to get us again...he never got that chance. Knowing the pain that would follow, I grabbed the piece of metal that dug itself slightly in my hip and yanked it out. I nearly vomited right then and there. "Oh Jesus...oh God...that hurt!" I slid down alongside the trench wall, clutching my hip.  
"Holy shit...Shikamaru! Shikamaru are you ok?" Ino yelled with fear in her eyes. "Here we gotta bandage that up."  
"Thanks Ino...we gotta be quick though...ow! We gotta keep moving! Fuck that hurts!" I lamented as Ino did her best to place a pressure dressing on the wound. Lucky for me my clothing and my belt covered took most of the shrapnel so I wasn't bleeding too badly. It hurt to move though...but we still had a hill to take.  
"Pop smoke grenades!" Lee bellowed in an attempt to have everyone hear over the gunshots and explosions. "Get a smoke screen in to cover our advance! Move up all machine gunners! Let's go!"  
A couple of smoke grenades landed near the second trench and poured out its contents. The Soundies were still firing through but at least they couldn't get a bead on us. We kept low while moving quickly to the second trench. Pouring in, there was little to no resistance given the pounding we had given them before. Quickly clearing the trench, I huddled up with Isshiki and Naruto, trading shots with the enemy. It was getting more intense as we scaled our way up. The Soundies were more than determined to hold on to this hill but we had to take it even if we had to pry it off their cold, dead hands.  
"Keep pushing 2nd Platoon! We've got them where we want them!" Lee screamed in an attempt to get us going again.  
Sarutobi took a look around, then turned to us. "Akimichi, same thing as before, lay down some suppressing fire on any positions you can. Toyama will have to spot for you. Nara, you and I take the rest and assault that next trench. It's the final trench so afterwards we've reached the top! We move in ten seconds..."  
"_Fuck...there it is again...the heart pounding uncontrollably. It may be the pain or something else, but I got a real bad feeling._"  
Choji had already started firing on anyone wearing a Sound uniform. I saw 1st and 2nd squads moving closer to us. From the looks of it they might have lost a person or two.  
"C'mon 3rd let's go! Move it!" Sarutobi roared.  
We hopped the trenchline and ran like the wind towards the third line. The Soundies were there waiting as they snapped off rifle shots, one clipping 4th squad's medic in the leg and another barely hitting my foot. I stumbled and fell on the grass, trying my damnedest to get up.  
"Nara come on let me help you up!" Isshiki said as he grabbed my arm and hoisted me up. "C'mon Nara we gotta keep pushing and take..." and without warning a bullet ran straight through his temple, a surprised look on his face as he collapsed to the ground and rolled down into the second trench. His blood spattered on my face and my uniform as I shook in terror watching one of my squad mates die right there after he had just helped me.  
"Fuck! Isshiki's down! We got a man down!" I screamed to Sarutobi.  
"God damn it! Those fuckers! 3rd squad...close in and stab those motherfuckers in their black hearts! Shoot them in the fucking face!"

His death was not in vain as the fury boiled in us. It was always a tragedy losing a member of the squad as we were like a family. Even Ino was dashing up the hill from the rage, the look of murderous intent overtaking her. We descended on the defending Soundies like the angels of Heaven preying on the demons of Hell. Sarutobi wielded his two trench blades as he hacked his way through three Soundies attempting to bayonet him. Ino smashed one in the face with her rifle and quickly parried another's swipe, then broke that assailant's jaw with a well-placed rifle butt while Toyama shot a soldier attempting to shoot Ino point blank in the chest. It was combat at its grisliest...and we savored every second of it. Lee caught sight of one trying to toss a grenade but quickly shot him in the head with his Colt .45. I blocked a Soundie's rifle swinging at me with my own Springfield and butted him in the chest and then the side of the head. Grabbing my own blade I dug it into another enemy's throat, shooting him in the chest for good measure. Temari was equally as vicious firing away with her Luger as she knocked a Soundie down and shot him before he could get up. We were covered in blood, sweat, and dirt, like animals in the plains after a fresh kill. My eyes lit up with a sadistic bloodlust as I swung my rifle to catch anyone too stupid to stay low. _POW!_ My rifle cracked and my shot went through some poor sap's head. _POW!_ It cracked again and another lay dying on the ground from a shot to the chest. My hand moving on the charging handle felt like I was in slow motion as all I could hear were the metallic clicks of a new round entering the chamber and then the melodic report of my weapon sending leaden death on those unfortunate to get in my sights.  
"I'll kill you sons a' bitches...I'll kill you all!" I screamed while laughing. My rifle was out of ammo, but I kept pulling the trigger and hearing the click. "Fuck!" I screamed again in frustration, taking my pistol out and blasting away at anything moving. I felt something hard hit me on the side of my head, like a rock...so I turned to find Sarutobi waving to get my attention.  
"Nara get a grip! We have to hold this line so for God's sake stay focused and reload!" He yelled to me, snapping me out of my funk as I crouched down and loaded my rifle up again. "1st and 2nd are going to flank that MG nest so keep the pressure on them!"  
"Um...ok sergeant. I'm on it. Everyone keep firing on that pillbox! Make them fire at us!"  
Upon that statement we poured our fire into the narrow slits of the MG nest inside. It's gun blazed wildly at us in reply, nearly taking Sergeant Mitarashi's head off in the process.  
"Keep firing! Keep firing!" Lee screamed. Suddenly I saw Shino, Kiba, Sasuke, and the rest of 2nd escorting Sakura and Sai towards the bunkers. 1st, 3rd, and 4th platoons were also making their way to the top as men and women in Leaf uniforms were pouring all over the beleaguered Soundies. Sakura had her flamethrower strapped to her back as Sasuke popped a smoke grenade near the side of the bunker. 2nd squad was laying down covering fire while Sakura rushed over to the rear of the bunker.  
"HOPE YOU LIKE A LITTLE COOKOFF YOU SOUNDIE FUCKS!" She screamed as we heard the door fly wide open and next thing we saw was intense orange fire gutting the walls and pouring outside of the slits. Terrified screams and subsequent gunshots from 2nd were all that followed. One Soundie tried crawling out of the MG slit but Hinata in a surprise move quickly spotted him and pumped him with three rounds. I turned to see Naruto who could only stare at Hinata's steely gaze despite her face covered in blood and dirt with her teeth gritting, a rarity for all of us to see. The stink of gasoline and flesh overloaded our senses but we couldn't let that faze us. We had to tear these people apart and lay waste to wherever they may be hiding. Sai and Sakura relished in their sadism, unleashing more steams of flame into the trenches and bunkers, doubtless incinerating many a Sound soldier. Fox Company was swarming over the command bunkers, easily overwhelming the Sound defenders.  
I followed Sarutobi and Toyama into one of the bunker tunnels which led to the sleeping quarters. A furious gunbattle ensued as we traded shots with the Soundies. After a minute or two Sarutobi got frustrated.  
"Ah fuck this...hey Soundies, Merry Christmas!" He screamed to them as he tossed his last grenade in. The Soundies panicked and a second later the explosion rocked the hallway. We poured in and finished off any stragglers. Temari and I then ran off to clear some more rooms but it looked like they had been abandoned. We ran into the central command room, quickly felling an assaulting soldier before running in to find a large man in a Sound officer's uniform sitting while clutching his stomach with bloody hands. He looked slightly older than us and was rather rotund, his hair a slight orange with a small mohawk and sideburns. We slowly approached him, our pistols aiming at him the whole time.  
"You think...you think...you've won don't you...you pathetic Leaf soldiers?" He struggled to say as he looked at us.  
"It's over Soundie...give up and we might not shoot you on the spot." Temari barked at him.  
He laughed only to cough and gurgle some blood. "Go ahead and kill me...you Sand wench...I served...the führer to...the bitter end. You...may have...taken this place...but just you wait...they'll be coming...to...take back what's theirs."  
"Who will be coming?" I demanded.  
"You'll...you'll see. They'll be coming...and they'll...slaughter you...like the Leaf filth you are!" He laughed demonically. His eyes grew wide as he revealed the primed grenade in his hands. "Heil the führer Orochimaru! The Sound will be victorious! Heil!" He screamed wildly knowing his glorious end was near in a few seconds.  
"Oh fuck...TEMARI MOVE!" I tackled her out of the doorway before the blast went off. Had we stayed a second longer, we might've been dead with that psychotic officer. The impact of the concrete hurt the both of us as superficial scratches covered any place not clothed. My hip reeled in agony as part of my landing was on it but I did my best to mask the pain.  
"Jesus...that was close. Thank you Shikamaru." She reached over and planted a wet one on my lips. "_Methinks I have to save her more often no?_"  
"We heard the explosion...are you two ok?" Toyama yelled rushing to where we were lying.  
"Yeah...we're ok. A little banged up but we'll manage. How're the rest doing?"  
"This bunker's cleared along with the rest. I don't hear any more firin' outside so I think we got this on in the bad."  
"I certainly hope so Toyama."  
"Everyone outside! This bunker is clear so everyone get outside to clear the rest!"  
Fox Company spent the next thirty minutes or so scorching and blowing up any nook and cranny the Soundies may have been holing up in. When the dust finally settled it was pure carnage. Everything was in ruins save for a few mortar and artillery pieces with bodies lying everywhere, some of them our own soldiers. I had heard we a little more than thirty men and women already, Isshiki being one of them. I became exhausted from the battle as I tried to find a place to sit and drink. Temari followed me as I parked my ass on a piece of concrete and tried to get some water in my mouth without my shaking hands spilling the canteen.  
"Shikamaru...are you ok?" She asked, quite concerned about my well-being since the start of this battle.  
"No Temari...I'm not. That officer, before he died he said 'they' were coming. I have a really bad feeling about who 'they' are."  
"You gotta tell Captain Hatake then."  
"Right...sir! Sir I need to speak with you!"  
"Yes Corporal Nara what is it?" He turned to me after speaking with First Sergeant Guy.  
"Sir, when Temari and I were clearing the east bunker, we spotted a wounded Sound officer. He taunted us and claimed that though we took this hill, they'd take it back. All he said was 'they' were coming and that we'd be slaughtered. He then primed a stick grenade and blew himself up before we could get any more info."  
"Shit...so they know we're here huh? That means they'll be back and in spades too. FOX COMPANY LISTEN UP! The enemy knows we have this hill and they're going to do everything to take it back! We have to use everything in our disposal to stop them from taking it back! They will not stop nor will they tire in their pursuit and until reinforcements come...we're on our own! Bring the halftracks up for supply and cover. Get all the wounded in one of the bunkers and start triage ASAP!"  
"Engineers!" Sakura screamed. "Set up sandbags and high density minefields wherever we can! If a mouse farts in those God-damned minefields, I want his ass blown sky high!"  
The first sergeant started to get in on the action as well. "Get moving Fox Company! This isn't over yet so let's not give the Soundies what they want and make them run away with their tails between their legs. This hill will be a fucking Sound Army tomb by the time we're done with it!"  
A tomb we will make all right, and littered inside would be the piles of dead Soundies who dared mess with us and our prize.


	16. Chapter 16

Like dogs we worked on forming some sort of defensive line against the coming beast. We were already near exhaustion from just taking this damned patch of earth and grass, but now we had to hold it for as long as possible. We had heard that Able Company was finished assisting King Company and could reach us in a few hours, but we all had the feeling that it'd feel more like days. We felt like our adversaries would come much sooner than any other soul, much less a friendly one. The collective grunts and groans of the company we heard as even the captain and first sergeant was doing their fair share of labor in preparation. Sarutobi, Hanzo, Toyama, Temari, and I were busy trying to haul one of the PAK 38s that wasn't demolished in our assault of the hill, towards the right side of the hill where 2nd Platoon would be defending. Toyama's arm wound hurt him but he still had the strength to help out. The gun was heavy and kept getting stuck in the small craters...I swore my arms would break before we could even got to the resting spot.

"C'mon ladies! Get that strength in and pull!" Sarutobi yelled.

"Um sergeant that might offend Temari." I grunted out.

"I don't care if it offends every woman in the platoon keep pulling!"

"Come on guys! You can move faster than that!" Ino had the gall to mock us like that. We all just stopped and glared at her with the eyes of death.

"Ya want me to kill her now Shikamaru? Think of it as a token of friendship..." Temari asked me.

"Nah, it'd be too troublesome now. We'll take care of her later if the Soundies don't." Temari snickered as we turned around to grab the metal grips of the AT gun, reverting to grunting and moaning as our method of communication. With the exception of Ino's lazy ass, our squad was working like a well-oiled machine. Choji would've helped us but he had his own matters to attend to with setting up his MG post. We held no grudge. Sai, Gaara, and some other engineers were laying mines in the ground while Sakura oversaw the makeshift barricade constructions.

"Hammer and nails people c'mon hammers and nails! C'mon Sasuke baby put some muscle into it like I know you can!"

"Ya know just because you're my girlfriend Sakura doesn't mean you can order me around. Remember who the NCO is around here ya got that?!?" He barked.

She squeezed him and placed a big wet one on his lips. "God that turns me on when you get upset! All right then Sergeant Sweetheart, can you please put some muscle into it?"

"I swear to God Sakura one of these days..."

"Oh is that a threat sergeant? Methinks we'll have to have a little counseling on how to properly treat subordinates with a little more...respect if ya catch my drift?" Sakura had always been more than public about her affection for Sasuke. Hell I bet you can fill a bookshelf of transcripts between the two of them...but I think the platoon would rather walk into a minefield than read a single page. We had just moved some captured mortars into a small area near the peak. It only took a few minutes to set them up which was fine and dandy but trying to acquire the ammunition and stocking them alongside the mortars was anything but enjoyable. Temari and I stood near one of the barricades from a few seconds, watching Naruto, Hinata, Tenten, Kiba, Kankuro, and Konohamaru working away. Given the small amount of time we had squad unity was less of a priority with bits and pieces of the platoon all over the place.

"You think they need some help?" Temari asked.

"Sure why not? Hey Naruto! You need a hand?" I asked to him.

"Hey Shikamaru! Shit, the more the merrier I say and it's always great to not see you being lazy!"

We jogged up to him and the rest who were just finished placing sandbags and wooden stacks around another MG position. Their faces, like ours, were caked with sweat, dirt, and dried blood. Even Hinata pale-eyed beauty was masked by the wear and tear of the previous battle. I was slightly concerned to see her kill that Sound soldier without even batting an eye. It was something I had never seen from her but I dared not bring it up. She had made a promise to Naruto to become stronger and no longer be timid. Shame there were no other options on the table here huh? Done with our work, we took swigs from our canteens, the water as refreshing like we had been in a desert for days. Kiba took a drag from his cigarette while Konohamaru got one from him and lit up as well.

"C'mon Konohamaru you're too young for that shit!" I yelled.

"Hey don't look at me!" Kiba said innocently. "I dunno how old the boy is."

"What did Sarutobi ask you to go and baby-sit me corporal?"

"That's Sergeant Sarutobi private."

"Whatever...seems like I can't have any fun anywhere now that he's got his pet corporal to keep an eye on me."

"Watch your tone there private!" I snapped. I wasn't too big on the rank thing but if there was one thing I hated it was being disrespected.

"Shikamaru! I'll handle this ok? Look Konohamaru, we're just lookin' out for you. Sergeant Sarutobi's real concerned about young kids like you and your friends..." He walked away from us while talking to him. They came back and Konohamaru had a little less frustration on his face. "Ok boss, I understand what you're gettin' at. I guess I always heard they take the edge off and I just got a bad feelin' in my bones like something real bad is gonna happen. I'm sorry Corporal Nara."

"It's ok buddy...we all get those feelings sometimes. The best we can do is not let it get to us. C'mon we have some more work to do."

Rejoining the rest of the group we started stacking any wooden bars we could find and piled sandbags to where we thought we needed them. It was a productive group he had going. We'd laugh and joke while toiling away, Kankuro and Tenten boasting to each other about who'd get the first tank kill, Naruto and Hinata sneaking an occasional kiss when they thought no one was looking, Kiba showing Konohamaru the ropes on soldiering, and Temari and I waxing eloquent once more. Yep it was a good thing going...before the inevitable storm came.

"Hinata," a familiar voice said behind us, "could...could I speak to you for a second?" It was Neji, his face looking at all of us with an aura of guilt, anxiety, and weariness.

"What in the hell do you want Neji?!?" Naruto snorted. Since the fight things were less than cordial between the two of them. Neji had been given a lot of shit by the other soldiers and despite his continued bravery in combat, few were willing to give him slack. "Hinata don't waste even a second on this creep!" To my surprise Neji did not respond at all to his insults.

"N-no Naruto, it's ok. What did you want to say Neji?" Hinata countered.

Neji sighed with a sense of shame in his eyes. "Hinata, I know we've never gotten along and I know that I've done some terrible things to you, and I wanted to say...that I'm sorry for everything."

"Say what?!?" I blurted out.

"N-Neji?" Hinata said quite shocked, but then again we all were. Even Tenten, Neji's biggest fan, was surprised to hear Neji spill his guts like that with sincerity.

"Yes...I'm sorry. Seeing so many of our people die right here had me thinking. I cannot continue to be your enemy Hinata. Since we were children I was jealous of things that were outside of your control, yet I treated you like the scapegoat. I did terrible and cruel things to you out of spite and irrational anger."

"You're God damn right they were!" Naruto blasted.

"Naruto! Let the man speak!" I replied.

"After the fight with Naruto, I came to realize that I had failed as a Hyuga family member, and I'm grateful to Naruto for doing what I could not and did not do. I had started to see a new Hinata, a bolder, braver one...one the likes I've never seen. When you rushed to save him in the Cloud Village, I saw how much he mattered to you and how you came out of your shell. I'm...I'm proud of you Hinata I'm sorry for what I've done to you, how I've destroyed your confidence and your happiness. I know there's nothing I can do to repair what I damaged, but I want you to know how I regret ever doing those things. We're family and we need to stick together. You do not have to forgive me but at the very least I wanted you to know I no longer bear ill will towards you...or Naruto." A small trickle forced itself from Neji's eye as he must've fought his pride and inhibitions to come clean like this.

The look on Naruto's face carried some animosity still, but with a slight hint of understanding. I found a sense of honor in his sincere apology which was quite a turn-around from his normal, condescending behavior. Hinata was a little shaken up but maintained her composure.

"I understand if you won't forgive me. I wouldn't if I were you Hinata. I'm also sorry I was such a monster to everyone, especially you Tenten," Tenten's eyes opened widely, "and that I only hurt everyone..." Hinata's hand found itself on Neji's shoulder as she looked at him straight in the eye. A faint smile emerged from her lips as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Neji, it's ok. I forgive you and I always will. You're right...we're family and we need to stick together. I'm sorry for anything I may have said as well."

Neji was caught off guard by her actions, but cracked out a smile and hugged her as well. "Thank you Hinata. I can never undo what I did but I want to forge a new bond with you." With that he let go and took off. About thirty seconds later I followed him, Tenten and Temari following me.

"NEJI!" I yelled. He turned to face me with a curious look on his face.

"Shikamaru?"

"Neji," I said in between my huffing, "I wanted to say you did a brave thing back there. I'd have thought you'd hold the grudge 'til the day you died but you did the right thing and apologized. I know Naruto was rough on you but he's become fiercely protective of Hinata. Regardless of which you're a good man for doing that."

"Thanks Shikamaru...that makes me feel a little better."

Tenten rushed over and bear hugged Neji. To her, Neji had always been a strong, confident person despite his personality faults. After that fight between Naruto and Neji, she had become colder towards him, realizing that he was being a dick to everyone including Hinata. I guess seeing him come out of the shell of his pride and pretentiousness struck a soft note with her, showing he did have a human side after all. "Thank you Neji. That took guts and I was waiting for you do show them. Thank you."

He looked at us all with a smile of confidence. He had become a redeemed man, all with a simple apology, even if it cost him his pride. "Thank you Tenten...I know you never heard it but I do are about you. When the Soundies come I'll be by your side. I'll see you guys later. Take care." He walked off to where Sergeant Morino was, prompting us to return to our duties. I glanced one more time at Neji. "_Good man Neji. You did the right thing._" Meanwhile several trucks and halftracks were speeding down the hill and rushing off into the distance to the east.

"Hey Sergeant Mitarashi! What's with the rapid movement all of a sudden?" I asked.

She finished her cigarette and stomped it before speaking to me. "Well corporal rumor has it that they're off to pick up some stranded Water soldiers who crashed their gliders and are being dogged by the Soundies. Some captain was begging for evac on the low frequency to any and all allied forces. We heard he was about fifteen to twenty clicks east of this hill. The captain took the chance and got 3rd and 4th Platoon's trucks to haul ass and get them."

"Sounds pretty risky if ya don't mind me sayin' sergeant." Temari said.

"No I agree with ya on this one guys. But if we can get them we've got some more firepower and I also heard there were some Sand fighters with them too." The last comment made Temari's ears burn.

"Absolutely sergeant, the more the merrier I say if we're to hold this hill." Sure it was risky but I saw the rationale behind the captain's call. Besides, it'd be real mean of us to leave the Water guys high and dry. I could only hope they'd have some firepower with them and possibly some intelligence on Takigakure that we don't know about.

"Well that's all nice but we've still got work to do right corporal? We'll see what happens and pray those Water schmucks don't get waxed before we get to them. So uh...how about it corporal?" She looked at me with the subtle hint that Temari and I should scram.

"Um, yeah of course sergeant. We'll be off now." I replied. Sergeant Mitarashi never really liked to shoot the shit with others, even fellow sergeants for that matter. Hell I think the only people I've ever really seen her converse with are Sarutobi, Morino, and the first sergeant seeing how they could probably deal with her bullshit and being tough as nails.

We spent the next half-hour hauling another PAK 38 fifty meters from where the other one Temari and I hauled. Choji was fiddling some more with his .30 cal while Ino bitched and moaned at him about something. I would've been too troublesome to step into that one, and besides Choji liked getting the attention from her for a change. The faint sound of engine roars echoed in the distance as dust clouds bloomed towards the eastern side. Looks like we found our precious cargo judging by how fast the halftracks were moving.

"Let 'em through! Let 'em through Fox Company!" First Sergeant Guy bellowed from out of left field. "Get them dismounted from the truck ASAP! Don't crowd them!" The trucks swerved into the most agreeable incline they could find and slammed the brakes at the top of the hill. Judging by their conditions it seemed 3rd and 4th were able to find the Water soldiers without running into Sound trouble.

We flocked around the trucks like chickens hovering over newly placed feed. Murmurs of excitement and intrigue flowed through the crowd like a river, the sergeants and officers doing their best to maintain order. The tarps were lifted and for the first time ever we got a good look at our allies, the men and women of the Water Nation. I'd never run into one in my life and I always heard they talked funny and had a little more of an interesting culture than ours to say the least. Their uniforms were a dull, light brown color but darker than Temari's beige, red berets atop most of their heads. From the looks of them they got beat up something fierce, but their composure was firm and resolute. Their shoulder insignia bore a man atop a winged horse and right above that the two "S" symbols of the Water Nation. They were quite shocked to see so many people staring at them, like they were shiny toys and we were kids.

"Oi! The bloody 'ell you gawkin' at there boy! Somethin' catch your fancy?" A grim looking woman screamed at Kiba as he helped her down but couldn't stop staring. Wow they did talk weird. She was incredibly good looking for a soldier, possibly better looking than some of our own Konoha women!

"Now now sergeant. The lad didn't mean nuthin' by it...I think he's just never seen the likes of us before. Would I be correct in sayin' that mate?" A small, brown-haired man asked Kiba, to which he just nodded softly. "See? They're just fancyin' a look see. I figure we'd be grateful for scuttin' a ride off 'em and whatnot."

"By God corporal...something I can never understand that Wave babble of yours." This man must've been from the neighboring island, the Wave Nation. I've heard of them as a proud and tough race of people, capable of being your best friend or your worst enemy.

"Awfully nice first impression wouldn't you say Kiba?" I asked.

"Yeah you're telling me. That female sergeant is quite a looker I must admit."

"Medics, perform triage on the wounded while the rest of you help these guys!" The first sergeant ordered. "We don't have a lot of time so let's be real spic and span about this!"

We saw Captain Hatake jog to where we were unloading our new friends. "So, you must be the stranded Water Airborne troops that needed help huh?"

"Right you are my good man...we are in your debt for getting us out of that jam! We might've all been proper dead if it weren't for your efforts." A well-spoken man said from the crowd of soldiers. He was tall and wore a mask like the captain's. "The name is Captain Zabuza Momochi, commander of Lima Company of His Majesty, the Mizukage's, 1st Airborne Division. And you are?" He hopped off the truck and extended a hand to shake with the captain, who stuck his hand out and shook it in return, then saluted him in an interesting manner, his open palm facing the captain instead of the side of his hand like how we did it.

"I'm Captain Kakashi Hatake of Fox Company, 1st Konoha Infantry Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division. It's finally good to see someone that's on our team, Captain Momochi."

"Likewise, my troops and I were scheduled to land our Horsa gliders due northeast of this hill and Takigakure, but those bloody Sound bastards and their anti-aircraft guns plucked us right out from the sky. It was a miracle our pilots managed to land safely without much loss. However our good fortune ended as the Soundies got the drop on us and nipped at us from all sides. I lost my sergeant major, Kaiza, and many other good chaps trying to link up with any allied force. To our luck we also ran into some Sand resistance guerillas who led us through some chokepoints with nary a scratch. We were being dogged by an infantry battalion before, by the grace of the Almighty, you came and picked us up."

"I hate to rain in on your parade Zabuza, but we had just taken this hill hours ago and the Sound is quite intent on taking it back."

"Then say no more my good chap! My Airborne soldiers are the best in His Majesty's army and we're fixing to give the Soundie bastards a proper wallop. It's the least we could do for your rescue and we need a little slice of revenge after what they did to us."

"Then it's agreed. I recommend splitting your forces amongst our platoons. Do you have anything good against armor?"

"We have some 57mm 'Boys' and some PIATs. The Boys can take out halftracks while the PIAT we were using for the heavier stuff. We were planning for more urban fighting but we'll do what we can. Staff Sergeant Haku!"

We saw the same woman who yelled at Kiba run over to him. "Yes sir? What's to be done sir?"

"Captain Hatake, this is Staff Sergeant Haku. Since our sergeant major was killed, he's been the primary NCO of Lima. He'll sort the lads out. He's young but a fine soldier...he won't disappoint am I right Staff?"

"Right-o sir! I'll get to it!" He saluted and ran off screaming to the other Water soldiers.

"HE?!? Did he just say 'he?'" Kiba asked in utter shock, almost sick to his stomach.

"I believe he did Kiba. We won't laugh if you throw up right now, we promise."

"SHUT UP SHINO!"

We listened in on the rest of the conversation between the officers. Seems like all the LTs were in on the planning along with their respective sergeants. Soon afterwards the cries were made to split up in the defensive lines along each side of the hill. A small contingent of Water troops came to our platoon area, the same brown-haired Wave soldier who addressed Staff Sergeant Haku walking with them.

"Hey how're you all doin'? M'name is Corporal Inari and I'm from the Land of Waves. A pleasure to meet ya Leaf gentlemen. Seems the Lord works in mysterious ways puttin' me here with ya boys."

"He most certainly does sometimes. Good to meet you Inari, I'm Corporal Shikamaru Nara.

"You talk funny ya know that corporal?" Naruto jabbed inappropriately.

Inari laughed. "Well I can say the same about you boyo. That's just where I'm from. Don't worry I'm not offended." Naruto chuckled a little bit at his good nature. "Wowee! Who're the vixens?" The Wave soldier asked noticing Tenten, Temari, and Hinata.

"I'm Temari of the Sand."

"Private Tenten."

"Um, Pr-private Hinata Hyuga."

"A pleasure to meet ya three ladies." He kissed each woman's hand. They blushed but Naruto and I weren't too pleased. "Gift o' women ya have here mates! I gotta come by the Leaf and Sand nations more often...if I were you I'd scoop one of 'em right up!"

"Well for your information buddy the dark-haired beauty is mine and the blonde belongs to my good man Shikamaru right here." I blushed from embarrassment. Count on Naruto to say the wrong things always.

"Naruto!" I yelled.

"What...no point in denyin' it pal!"  
"Troublesome...that's what you are ya know that?"

Inari roared in laughter. "Oh Lord...you Leaf guys crack me right up. I wish we were back at home. I'd take ya to the local and treat ya to a jar of some fine stout! But enough of that...we've got some mouldy Sound feckers that're lookin' fer a row am I right?"

We all nodded even if we had no idea what the hell he was saying. The Water soldiers were swarming into our positions, shaking hands and rubbing elbows with our own men and women. Yeah they were from other nations and they most certainly acted and talked differently, but we were still brothers in arms against a common enemy. It was certainly interesting to think about how such an awful conflict would bring people together. I mean, I'd never see myself ever working hand in hand with men and women of the Water, Wave, and Sand citizens and even getting myself in a romantic relationship with a Sand woman, all in the struggle for liberty and justice. Amazing...

"GAARA!" A young woman cried out from the crowd. Gaara turned and for the first time ever bore the widest grin on his face as the woman came running to him.

"MATSURI! Oh my God Matsuri I can't believe it's you!" He yelled as he was enveloped by the embrace of the Sand girl.

"I can say the same about you!" She laughed as they were as giddy as two kids on their birthdays. "I can't believe you're here of all places, and Kankuro and Temari are here too!"

"Yes they are. Baki released us to act as liaisons with any other Sand cells for the Leaf Army. Wow...I still can't get over you being here with the Water forces as well!"

She smiled. "Gaara, I've missed you so much since we parted ways. Please tell me what's been happening."

While the two kids waxed eloquent, I turned to Temari. "Hey Temari, what's with Gaara and this one-eighty turn in emotion?"

"As shocking as it may sound, there is one person outside of his family who could put a smile on Gaara's face. That'd be Matsuri, his childhood friend. Since they were little they were inseparable, always playing games and hanging out with each other. When the war broke out and our parents died she had made it out with the other resistance fighters. Quite a coincidence that when Baki scattered us all she'd see us again in the Waterfall Nation, acting as support for these airborne forces. I'm so glad for Gaara...to be honest I think there might be a little puppy love since the two probably have a crush on each other."

Kankuro walked in to see Gaara elated. "Hell if it puts a smile on our brother's face then there no looking a gift horse in the mouth eh?"

"C'mon lads! It took the boys back 'ome to build the bloody palace faster than you nancies can stack these sandbags!" Staff Sergeant Haku screamed to his troopers and they helped make the final emplacements. "Oi Toyashima! Quit bein' a muppet and get that Bren up and ready!"

"Hey Inari is your sergeant always like that?" Naruto pondered.

"Oh Staff Haku? Well it's been tough on him with the new responsibility after Sergeant Major Kaiza got offed. Gotta be right honest with ya mate, I'd be stressin' out too if I were him."

"I see." I replied. "Well we've been gettin' a little bit of that here and there. I'm already worried the Soundies are gonna make it ten times worse."

"Aye, I'll drink ta that. But don't ya worry, me and the Wave boys, we take care of our mates and since you're our newly found friends, we'll take care of ya real good."

I felt some slight comfort in that. I liked this guy. He was strong, confident, and amicable. I hoped all the people from the Wave Nation were like this. "I have your word on that Inari..."

Thirty minutes had passed and an eerie calm passed. I didn't like it. It was like the Cloud Village church all over again.

"Fox Company, get to your positions on the double! The Sound's comin' and we gotta be ready!" Once again the first sergeant was bellowing but weren't going to take him lightly, not in this situation. The whistles were blown and all socializing stopped as our platoon along with the Water and Sand fighters rushed to our positions. It was a mish mash of everything. No one was in proper formation and we had some of our own manning the mortars and anti-tank guns.

"Right then Lima Company! Form up and maintain spacing and discipline! Get those guns at the ready!" Captain Momochi yelled.

"Hinata..."

"Yes Naruto?"

He grasped her hand with his. "I just want you to know...if anything happens, I love you."

"Naruto...I love you too." The two of them were huddled next to each other along with Kuze, Konohamaru, and Shino. To my right Gaara, Matsuri, Kiba, and Kankuro were lined up, Kankuro's Panzerschreck already positioned. Temari and I were expectedly close to each other while Toyama was with Sarutobi and Choji and his .30 cal. I scanned the area with my scope. I caught what I thought was ruffling in the bushes near a small patch of trees, expecting a Soundie recon element or something. I signaled that I saw something to Temari as she readied her rifle as well. A minute later the ruffling stopped. My mind was playing tricks on me, my head stirring in anticipation of the attack, the first bullet hitting us, the inevitable slaughter to come. I took a good look at Temari. I had never gotten around to confessing my feelings towards her...and it'd be too troublesome now. Damn it...

A loud, screeching whistle rang over head. We all knew what it was.

"INCOMING!" One of our soldiers screamed out as a large patch of earth erupted right in front of us. Our heads kept low as to prevent a chunk of shrapnel from lopping one of our heads clean off. The rumbling became more and more intense as I could've sworn I saw dust clouds coming from moving vehicles.

"Sergeant? Can't X-Ray Battery do something about this?" I asked Sarutobi.

"No luck Nara. Our guns can't get within range. We gotta hold tight for the ride."

I could tell the rookies had never been shelled before. The girl Moegi and her friend Udon huddled together with Konohamaru, each explosion forcing strong flinching while most veterans could take the shock. Shino hunkered down, muttering something to himself that was most likely a prayer.

"FOX COMPANY!" The captain cried over the barrage. "The enemy is knocking at our doorstep, seeking to take that which does not rightfully belong to them! They seek to destroy us and all we hold dear! We will not afford them that right!"

"Men and women of Lima!" Captain Momochi joined in on the rousing speech. "The bloody Sound bastards bombed our homes, killed our friends and loved ones, and took our lives away from us! They shot us down and killed our mates! They will not stop until we are all dead!"

"BUT NO! This is where we stand our ground! This is where we show them the might of Konoha!"

"We are the infantry! We are Konoha's strength in war and her deterrent in peace!" 2LT Lee said coming straight from the creed.

"We are the heart of the fight, wherever and whenever!" Kiba growled.

"We carry Konoha's faith and honor against her enemies!" Tenten yelled.

"We are swift, determined, and courageous...armed with a fierce will to win!" Naruto yelled.

"Always we will fight on!" Hinata screamed in accompaniment to Naruto.

Pretty soon all of 2nd Platoon was chanting the mantra of the creed. "We will not yield to weakness, to cowardice, to hunger, to fatigue! Never will we fail our country's trust!"

I screamed at the top of my lungs, "If necessary, I will fight to my death!"

"WE ARE RELENTLESS! WE ARE ALWAYS THERE! WE ARE KONOHA'S INFANTRY!"

"You hear that boys? These Leaf lads are ready to fight! Let's show them what the mighty Water Airborne is made of! For the Mizukage!"

"FOR THE MIZUKAGE!"

"Lads! The time has come...we've been on the run from these bloody arseholes but we will run no more! We will turn them back! We will not fail His Majesty and our blessed homeland by dying here today!" The Water soldiers started singing, no doubt their national anthem or something, their unity resonating throughout the trenches. Their loyalty and determination were admirable. All of us, Sand, Wave, Water, and Leaf, cheered and yelled taunts as the Sound artillery continued to fire away, but they couldn't hit shit. It began to fade as their halftracks got closer, followed by a couple Panzer tanks and some StuGs.

"Here they come! Mortar teams start your barrage! All AT units concentrate on their armor! They ain't shit without their fucking armor!" The first sergeant ordered and a few seconds later the distinctive tube launches of our mortars sounded in the back, aiming at every available spot the Soundies could be. One mortar got lucky and landed right next to a speeding halftrack, causing it to skid and land on its side. It would delay them at best. The PAK 38 guns were also alive with fire, spewing rounds at whatever they could find. Neji's PAK 38 team got its sights on an incoming Panzer and hit it right in the tracks, stopping it dead. It fired back in retaliation but missed Neji by about twenty meters.

"Great shot Neji! Now let's finish it off!" Tenten said in praise.

"Leave that to me! You ready buddy?" Kankuro asked his Water comrade, who was armed with a PIAT. Readying their weapons, the PIAT launched and hit the Panzer in the center while Kankuro's Panzerschreck nailed it right at the turret, causing a massive eruption of flame and metal. We cheered at the sight of our first Panzer kill.

"Proper good work there mate!" The Water soldier said to Kankuro.

"Now that's how it's done!" Staff Sergeant Haku cried out. "A round of ales on me for the next lad who kills the next Panzer!"

Our cheers were silenced quickly as the halftracks got closer with their machine gunner spraying fire alongside the trenches. One of our guys, Corporal Igawa, and one of the Sand fighters fell from the bullets.

"Heads down!" I screamed as I pulled Temari down with me while an MG42 gunner's bullets landed right at the ridgeline of our trench. Our AT guns and mortars ranged themselves closer, their explosions becoming real close. The screams of the Sound soldiers could be heard as they must've dismounted for their assault. Little did they realize our mines were waiting for them, as one poor sap was launched twenty feet into the air while another was blown right into a tree and died instantly.

"HA! How's the view from the air Soundies?" Sakura taunted while firing her Grease gun in small bursts. We were beating them back as our guns opened up on them, but their determination was no joke. A StuG blew out a section of 1st Platoon's defenses while one of our PAK 38 crews died from MG fire. The mines could only hold them for so long as some of their cannon fire aimed at the emplacements, detonating them before they could do them any more harm. Our traps had become useless.

"Hold them down 2nd Platoon! Use your grenades!" Lee screamed. Sarutobi primed one of his and chucked it right at an assaulting group. They saw it and immediately scrambled as it went off, killing only one of them. Seems they weren't stupid either. Corporal Inari chucked two of his at the enemy, one of them picked up by the Soundies and thrown back.

"Oh Jesus...DOWN!" He yelled as we hit the dirt. Luckily it exploded overhead and none of us were heard save for a throbbing headache. The air was steaming from the bullets streaking everywhere. Temari and I did our best to thin the numbers.

"Temari! Get those gunners on the halftracks! Without their fire these guys won't have much support left!"

"Right let's do it partner!"

"Choji give us some covering fire! Concentrate on the halftracks and those near 'em!"

"You got it buddy! Toyama, spot for me!" Choji let fly with his machine gun, spraying into the crowd of Soundies and taking two of them down. His covering fire kept the Soundies in the halftracks from firing at us, giving Temari and I ample time to pick some of them off. Without the MG42 fire, the Soundies were stuck at the bottom of the hill in a desperate climb to reach us.

"Not one step closer these blokes get Lima! Drive them back!" Staff Sergeant Haku screamed. The roars of the Sound armor's cannon fire deafened everyone on the battlefield, pounding our positions mercilessly. We had held them, but not by much, and it was only a matter of time before they broke through. For twenty minutes we were at a stalemate, neither side willing to give way. Ino, Hinata, and the rest of the medics had successfully extracted the wounded from the trenches while we kept the fire on the Soundies. Two of our unmanned halftracks and one of our Jeeps were obliterated by the Panzer fire. Even if they didn't take this hill the Soundies were surely making life more difficult for us.

"Aw bloody 'ell they're about as stubborn as me grandmum! Hey you Sound fucks I'll stick this Bren down yer bloody throats!" A frustrated Water soldier screamed as he blasted his Bren machine gun on a group of attackers, felling four of them while the rest continued their assault.

"This isn't looking good Shikamaru!" Temari lamented.

"No it isn't, but gotta keep pushing them back!"

It went back and forth as the Soundies paid dearly for every patch of land they placed themselves on. The big problem was that our numbers were thinning by the minute. We had already lost a good amount taking this hill and even with our allied reinforcements the Soundies were merciless. One of the Water machine gunners right next to me went down in a hailstorm of bullets, giving the Soundies room to advance.

"Shit they're climbing up! They're climbing up!" Kuze yelled.

"Fuck that shit! They'll only meet death at my hands here private!" Mitarashi snapped as she blazed her entire magazine into the advancing Sound line.

"They're getting too close! 2nd Platoon, fall back into the secondary positions now! Keep bases of fire on them!" Lee ordered as we broke off in teams and backpedaled to the trench behind us. Private Nagi was shot in the throat as he tried taking a couple potshots before falling back. It didn't work. Temari and I dove over a pile of sandbags and took down a couple Soundies reaching over the crest of the trench line. Choji was lucky enough to have already set up so the Soundies met a grisly fate once they got through our first line. Our will to fight was high, but our morale was dropping as the Soundies inched their way forward. My heart was beating out of its chest as I witnessed the carnage. I saw the scared look of young boys and girls that should never have been here and the worried faces of our leaders who were doing their best to hold the lines.

"Keep that fire on 'em Choji! We'll hold these fuckers off no matter what!" Ino yelled encouragingly to him. Hanzo, Toyama, and Sarutobi were exacting their revenge for Isshiki firing away from another position. Naruto and Hinata were pinned down by enemy machine gun fire, crouching under a makeshift barricade of sandbags and wood.

"Sir! Sir! They're breaking through the northern side! We've got an incoming Panzer right on top of us!" 1st Platoon's lieutenant screamed panicking to Captain Hatake.

"Damn it! 2nd Platoon, get your AT gun over there and deal with that Panzer now!"

"You heard him! Hyuga get your gun over there on the double!" Sergeant Yamato ordered.

"I'm on it! Let's go men!" Neji and two other soldiers quickly hoisted the legs of the gun up and hauled it towards 1st Platoon with all their might. "C'mon hurry! The motherfucker's right there!"

The Panzer was enjoying itself, blowing holes in our defenses while slowly moving its way up. As it lurched forward it fired off another round, going right through one of our Jeeps and obliterating it, a large chunk of shrapnel flying right into the chest of a mortar soldier, killing her instantly. The Soundies were taking hits but the hits they landed were hurting us more and more.

"We're almost in range! C'mon guys hurry up before it spots us!"

"NEJI! I've got you covered!" Tenten screamed as she loaded her Bazooka. "I'll distract it while you set up!" Firing without hesitation, her rocket screamed towards the strong frontal armor of the Panzer, stunning the beast but nothing outside of that. It had turned its turret towards Tenten as she dove to the ground by some crates, the round missing her by about fifteen meters. To our relief she poked her head out letting us know she was ok though I bet the shockwave stunned her pretty good. Her diversion gave plenty of time for Neji to get the Panzer in his crosshairs.

"Open wide shithead!" He screamed as his PAK 38 fired right into the soft spot of the Panzer's side armor, knocking the turret almost clean off. "Yeah you fucker how'd that feel? Thanks Tenten I owe ya and then some!"

"One in a million shot lad!" A Water officer congratulated him. "Keep that up and we may win yet!"

The ground rumbled with the footsteps of the approaching enemy accompanied by the wheels and tracks of their armor. They kept coming and in spades. We had held them at the second trench line pouring hot, leaden death down at them. It was literally becoming a tomb for these poor bastards, Temari and I doing our best to contribute.

"Temari! Machine gunner at 11 o'clock!" I screamed to her as she swung her rifle at the Soundies firing her MG34 into our trenches. One pull was all Temari needed as the Soundie snapped her head and slumped over dead.

"She's gone!"

"Great shooing partner! We gotta hold this line!"

We ran our way to where Naruto and Hinata had posted themselves. They had already lost three in their defensive line and the flank was thinning fast.

"Holy shit Shikamaru! Temari! Glad you two could get here! Fucking Soundies are poundin' us to hell and we're losin' men fast!"

"Anyone with some fight left in them?" I asked.

"Some Water soldiers, Corporal Inari, Konohamaru and his friends...outside of that we ain't got shit!"

He was right. All that was stopping the Soundies was a squad-sized force doing their damnedest to hold them off. All formation had been lost in the chaos of the retrograde.

I had an idea. "Temari, get to the mortar teams and get them to pour whatever rounds they can over here! Move quickly partner!"

"On it!" Temari kept low as she did a roadie run towards the mortar positions. In the mean time I added my rifle fire to Naruto's line. Lucky for us only infantry could reach this part of the hill but they were still coming in full force. I took one down and then another. A couple of minutes later an explosion suddenly rocked the trench line where the Soundies were. Another went off, and then another and another, keeping the Soundies suppressed. Hot damn...Temari did it!

"How's that Shikamaru?" She asked.

"Way to go Temari! I'll kiss you when this is all over!" I screamed in praise as she shot me a wild grin.

"You better keep your promise on that one partner! In the mean time we still have a hill to defend!"

The mortars were great at holding them at bay. For ten minutes our little section was a stalemate. We had little concern with what was around us, only what was in front. A few grenades were tossed in our direction but rolled down and exploded in front of our line. We took cover nonetheless.

"Jesus these guys don't quit!" Naruto moaned. "C'mon is that the best you can do?"

The second he said that another group of grenades came flying and one got lucky, landing right in our group. I stared in horror knowing in a few seconds I was most likely going to die.

"Oh Jesus!" Hinata yelled.

Out of nowhere Konohamaru's bespectacled friend Udon screamed and dove right on top of the grenade. A second later it went off as he absorbed the blast. We were knocked back a little bit, but that poor boy. He had saved us all at the cost of his life. For a second we were aghast at the altruism of it all, Temari and I stuck in shock for a few seconds.

"Oh God...oh my God Udon! Udon! NO!" Moegi shrieked. "UDON!" She tried to crawl over to his mangled body, sobbing while she clutched the dirt. She made her way to his body, holding it close, covering herself in blood and sobbing miserably. Hinata and Temari had to drag her off him while she was kicking and screaming.

"Those fucks! I'll kill them! I'll kill them!" Konohamaru was beside himself as he was almost about to jump over and charge the Sound line. Naruto restrained him as he thrashed, prompting a slap in the face from Naruto.

"Konohamaru get a grip! Your friend saved us all making the ultimate sacrifice and it'd a fucking shame if you were to get yourself killed now!"

The kid just nodded, shaking and tearing up from his friend's death.

"Right so let's do his sacrifice justice!"

"Shite! They're coming!" One of the Water soldiers screamed. In the chaos of the grenade attack they had become able to get up and try to bum rush our position.

"Fuck that! I've been waitin' for a proper fight like this! I'm glad I got me dusters out...time ta show these Sound feckers how the men of the Wave Nation throw down!" Inari replied.

"Can't have a good fight without evening the odds eh corporal?" Staff Sergeant Haku asked as he and about ten others including Gaara and Matsuri came to support us.

"Staff ya couldn't have come at a better time! I was about to take these Soundies all by m'self but then I thought...why not share the wealth?"

Screaming like the demons of Hell, the Soundies were pouring up the slope as we cut them down with rifle fire. They returned fire but we were lucky enough to get down in time.

"Fix bayonets! Stick 'em on the ends of your blades lads!"

Their screams and battle cries got closer. It was one thing to shoot your enemy from a distance but fighting them up close was another thing entirely.

"Here they come!"

"I won't be a coward anymore...I won't be timid!" Hinata muttered as she shakily drew her knife out. "Konoha gave me a rifle to fight...and I will stand and fight!"

"Together Hinata...we'll fight to the end...together." Naruto said to her.

The first Sound face we saw was a brown-haired man with his hair tied back similar to mine, a look of pure malice on his face. He lunged at Naruto with his bayonet but missed only to have Hinata smash his face in with the butt stock of her Carbine. The next Soundie was a fair-skinned, black-haired woman who jumped in and swiped in at Temari, slashing her arm a little bit. Temari screamed in pain and swung her fist into the woman's face, knocking her down to the ground. Before the woman could get up Temari shot her in the heart with her Luger. It was starting to get real sporty in here, the combat like the ancient times. Another enemy tried to gun us down with his MP40 but Naruto pumped four rounds into him with his B.A.R., making short work of our would-be nemesis. Hinata killed two with her rifle and then stabbed another in the chest before twisting her blade as the poor Sound woman became lifeless. Hinata's face was caked with fresh blood and the look of pure hate was in her eyes.

"_Dear God...what is she turning into? Naruto I hope you see this..._"

The boy Konohamaru planted himself in front of his only other friend Moegi, firing shot after shot into the enemies. Gaara smashed one soldier's ribs with his STG44 and then blasted her right in the chest. Matsuri nailed a soldier in his head as he almost got the drop on Gaara. One unlucky prick took a shot at me and missed as I dove at him and we both went to the ground fighting. Hard thuds came to my head as he wailed on the side of my face. With my knife in my hands and my adrenaline dulling the pain I swung and dug my blade deep into his side. A scream of pain emitted from his lips as I pushed him off and then stabbed him again in his stomach, twisting the blade as I watching him convulse and then lay still, blood streaking down my face and my head still throbbing.

"Is that all ya Sound feckers got? My own ma fights tougher than the lot of ya!" Inari yelled in frustration as he clobbered a Soundie with his brass knuckles and shot another with his revolver. One of the Soundies got lucky as he stabbed a Water soldier in the chest and then slashed Inari in the leg. "OH NOW YA DONE IT!" He clotheslined the man and shot him right in the head. "Fuck you!" He screamed.

Despite their toughness the Soundie assault was faltering as fewer of them got within close combat range. Sasuke and a small contingent of our platoon ran in and gunned down five more of the enemy before they entered. The retreat was sounding as the Soundies fell back to their trench lines.

"By God they're pulling back!" Lee shouted in elation.

"Lima Company! Those Soundie bastards thought they had us but we're showing them now aren't we?" Captain Momochi cheered as he fired his Webley revolver into the Sound lines.

Neji's team had just blown apart another halftracks, Neji screaming in celebration.

"They're pulling back! Those fuckers are pulling back!"

Hinata cheered in jubilation as Neji smiled at her and Tenten. We had all assembled close together to consolidate our fires into the enemy. Suddenly strange plumes of red smoke emerged behind the Sound lines. What the hell were they?

"What the fuck? Red smoke?" Kiba pondered.

"Sergeant could that be Able Company?" I asked.

"I have no idea..." Sarutobi answered.

Neji, still breathing heavily from the excitement, noticed several large objects moving in the distance. His eyes widened in horror as a flash emitted from one of them.

"OH SHIT...NOT THEM! GET IN THE TRENCHES! GET IN TH..." Before he could finish his sentence a massive explosion erupted right where he stood. The ground shook with the force of an earthquake. We were all knocked to the ground.

"FUCK! What the hell was that?" Sasuke yelled.

"Neji?" Tenten looked around wondering where Neji was. She gasped in terror to see his PAK 38 gun a smoldering ruin and Neji's smoking, twisted rifle right next to her. "Oh dear God no...NEJI!" There was nothing left of him.

"N-n-no...NO! NEJI! OH GOD NEJI!" Hinata screamed in agony as her cousin, who she had just promised to forge a new bond with, was blown to smithereens right in front of her eyes.

"Hinata...we gotta get in the trenches now!" Naruto yelled as he grabbed her and ran towards the nearest cover.

"Those bastards...they killed Neji!" Tenten continued to scream wildly and Kankuro tried to pull her away from the ruins of Neji's position. "NO! Let me go! Let go of me! NEJI!" She kicked and pushed him away and was only moved when two others came to help Kankuro.

"Where did that come from?" Sergeant Morino asked.

I took a quick glance at the approaching monsters. They were big, black, menacing, and above all bearing a symbol I wish I hadn't seen, the red cloud.

"SHIT! AKATSUKI!" I yelled. Fuck...now I knew what the dying officer meant by "them."

"What? Akatsuki...here?!?" Captain Hatake asked in astonishment. "Jesus Christ Captain Momochi did these guys follow you here?"

"Like bloody hell they did? I have no idea where they came from! I can only tell you we're in for the fight of our lives now, sure as sure!"

"Dear Lord...the angels of death have arrived to reap." Shino lamented in the most sophisticated 'oh shit' I've heard ever.

The Akatsuki were the feared elite of the Sound Army. They were the ultra-loyalist crack troops of Orochimaru, personally commanded by Field Marshal Pein, a ruthless and cunning general. We heard the horror stories of these guys, smashing all opposition in front of them and leaving nothing in their wake. We had only heard the accounts of the few survivors of their attacks, and now they were at our doorstep.

"We've got Tigers incoming!" Sasuke yelled. Just fucking great of the Akatsuki to join the party with the dreaded Tiger tank. Now we could just be blown apart instead of wait to be shot up.

"God damn it! All units hunker down and wait for the Tigers to get in range. We're useless against their armor from a distance, but we must hold this hill! Do not let the Soundies take our positions!" The captain screamed as the Tigers unleashed a salvo of rounds on us.

With renewed vigor and morale the Soundies pushed themselves towards us again. All we could do is try and repulse them as even the Akatsuki storm troopers joined the fight, blazing away with their STG44 assault rifles. One of 4th Platoon's MG positions fell immediately to their swift attack, but with the courageous actions of some of the Sand fighters who grabbed the .30 cal, they were still held back. Another MG position was blown apart by a Tiger tank. Our stolen PAK 38 guns did their best but most of what we fired bounced harmlessly off their armor. One tank got a little too cocky as it sped forward up the hill into the killzone, blasting away at everything with its 88mm cannon and MG42 in the front.

"Boys!" The Water captain yelled. "Hit that bugger from all sides with the PIATs! This one's a little too big for its britches!"

Water anti-tank soldiers swarmed the Tiger, firing rocket after rocket into its tracks. It fired back killing one of the PIAT wielders. I noticed Tenten dashing furiously at the wounded Tiger, a loaded Bazooka in her hands and murderous intent in her mind.

"Private get back here now! Private Tenten are you lookin' to get killed?!?" Sergeant Morino screamed at her but her rage made her deaf to his protests. They had killed the one man she truly cared for and she wanted revenge. A stray bullet grazed her arm but she kept moving.

"You bastards...you killed him...you killed Neji! You die right here...right now!" She screamed as she fired her rocket straight into the beast. Smoke and shrapnel flew everywhere as her rocket hit the MG hole, causing black smoke to billow out of its holes. It stopped moving...she and the Water soldiers had slain a Tiger tank! I cost us five or six men but we took down an Akatsuki Tiger tank.

"They're not so fucking tough Fox Company!" First Sergeant Guy yelled. "Drive them back to the pits of hell where they came from!"

For the next fifteen minutes the Akatsuki infantry were flooding our positions like a storm had been unleashed on us while their accursed tanks were raining fire on us. Our AT weapons did their best but to no avail. 3rd Platoon's line had caved and were now scrambling to get as far back as possible. Another Akatsuki squad had shot up a group of Leaf and Water soldiers along the southern flank, trying to advance to our platoon line. Some had hopped into the trench and ran wildly towards us. Sakura came to the rescue and jumped in with her flamethrower, spewing liquid fire all over the storm troopers. She laughed maniacally as they cooked, their arms flailing and many of them rolling down the hill. She sprayed more fire on anyone else too stupid or unlucky as Temari and I looked away from the savagery. We had our own worries as rifle fire whizzed by our heads. We took turns shooting and spotting, taking down more storm troopers but they wouldn't stop coming!

"There's too many of them!" Private Kurosawa of 1st squad moaned. "We can't hold them off!"

"We have to keep trying soldier!" Sarutobi replied. "Keep firing! Akimichi keep that suppressive fire on them!"

"I'm almost out sergeant! I need more ammo!" He lamented. Ino paused for a second and turned to Choji.

"Choji I'll get it. Just hold on long enough for me to come back to you ok?"

"Thanks a million Ino!" And with that she took off like a bat out of Hell, scrambling from the enemy fire to get to the ammo caches on top. A minute later she came back, shaken up from the blasting but holding two .30 cal ammo tins in her hands.

"I owe ya one Ino. I won't make fun of ya ever again I promise!" Choji said in astonishment of Ino's helping him so quickly.

"We've got a job to do Choji...even if it's to the bitter end and I couldn't stiff a friend of mine, especially a close one like you Choji." She slapped his back and then fired away with her rifle.

A sharp blast of pain went through me as a bullet struck the top of my left shoulder, knocking me to the ground.

"Nara are you all right?" Sarutobi asked.

"Yeah I'm fine. I can still fight!" I replied as I took aim and killed another storm trooper, ignoring the pain in my shoulder. Things were looking pretty grim as our defensive line had shrunk even more. We had lost ten more soldiers in the period of twenty minutes. Private Miyoshi and Hinata were busy pumping rounds into the enemy while 4th's medic patched Kuze up. A tank round tore through one of our Jeeps, forcing us all to the ground from the shock. Naruto held Hinata tightly as death was knocking at our doors. The tanks were getting closer, like a pack of wolves on a wounded animal. Things were looking really shitty.

"To the v-very end N-Naruto..."

"To the very end Hinata...I love you."

Temari was groaning in pain from her bayonet wound, unable to ignore it any more, leaning against the trench wall. When I thought I was getting worn down she looked miserable.

"Temari! Are you all right? Let me patch that up for you!" I took one of my field dressings and my canteen. Washing the blood and dirt away I wrapped the bandage around the wound as quickly as possible. Meanwhile a tank round exploded above us, raining dirt and debris but I shielded Temari from most of it. "Don't worry Temari...you're with me now and I don't let my partners down...I promise."

"Shikamaru...you're hurt!"

"Don't worry about me! We may die here Temari, but there's something I wanted to tell you," I said as I witnessed Naruto and Hinata together, all the while a Tiger tank was slowly creeping up the hill, "you're a bossy, troublesome, pain in my ass Temari of the Sand but I wanted to tell you that since we first met I think I've fallen...what the fuck is that?"

Suddenly green flares lit up the evening sky as rumbles in the distance became heard. An abrupt explosion from the advancing Tiger appeared as even more explosions rocked the advancing Sound and Akatsuki infantry. A stream of rockets slammed into the halftracks that carried the Sound troops. I checked my scope and my heart skipped a beat as I saw the T34 Calliope, the _Whirlwind_, of Captain Umino's Able Company, moving northwest to our position. I bet that King Company wasn't too far behind either. The tables, oh have they turned all right.

"Like the fucking angels of mercy...it's Able Company! Able's finally here! Holy shit they're here!" Sarutobi yelled in pure joy.

"Jesus Christ Fox Company!" Captain Umino's voice came over the radio. "We leave you for one day and you bring this shitstorm on you. You want us to be the bouncers in this shindig, over?"

"Able I don't give a flying fuck what you do! Get that fucking armor into position and kill those God damned sons of bitches now! Over!"

"You heard 'im boys! Let's give our friends a little reminder what happens when they fuck with our friends!"

The _Shinobi's Pride_ was out in front of the formation, firing away at one of the Panzers down below and reducing it to bits. Another Tiger was reduced to the same thing as Captain Umino and the _Sound Smasher_ pounded its flank with two well placed rounds. The Soundies were completely caught off guard by Able's sudden arrival.

"IRUKA! I knew he'd come through for us!" Naruto cried out in ecstasy. "Oh Hinata...I thought we'd be worm food by now." A few tears streaked down his face, but they were tears of joy and not despair as he knew thanks to Iruka Umino he'd live to be with Hinata another day.

"Hey Kakashi, if Private Uzumaki is still with ya tell him I told him I wouldn't let him down!" Captain Umino said over the radio.

"Roger that I'll relay the message." He replied.

"This is it men and women of the Leaf, Water, and Sand! We have them where we want them! Leave no one standing and punish them for what they did!" The first sergeant called for blood, rallying our nearly broken forces into a fury. We poured every bullet we could into their lines. Gaara lobbed a couple grenades while Matsuri took the Bren of a fallen soldier and emptied its magazine on the Sound. Able had split up its forces and proceeded to surround the hill, mowing down infantry and busting up what armor they could find. The Akatsuki Tigers weren't about to keel over and die as one got its sight on a Sherman and nailed it. To our relief we saw the crew bail and flee before it exploded. The _Rock of Konoha_ and the _Falling Leaves_ got revenge and blew the tank to a ruined hulk.

Fighting the pain in my shoulder I took my rifle and emptied my bullets into any retreating Soundie I could spot. The Akatsuki were stubborn to the end but Able had enveloped them and they were like shooting fish in a barrel. The air reeked of gunpowder, ash, blood, and cooked flesh. It was so powerful it stung my nose and my eyes.

Fifteen minutes later not a single shot was heard. They were all dead...all the fucking Soundies too stupid to surrender were shot on the spot and those who did were kept a close eye on. Cheers and celebratory gunfire erupted from the hill. We had done it...we had held on to the hill with luck, determination, and the saving grace of Able's armor. The battle for Hill #404 had cost us around forty percent of our strength and we lost good soldiers like Isshiki, Udon, and Neji in the process. Some of us were giddy with the thrill of victory, but looking around I saw tired, worn faces. Choji and Ino looked more like corpses than actual human beings and they survived no less. Konohamaru was weeping alongside Moegi at the body of their close friend Udon. Sarutobi walked over to him, Konohamaru looking at his uncle like a frightened puppy.

"Udon..." He muttered.

"Still think there's excitement and glory here nephew?" He asked puffing from his cigarette as he turned and walked off. He and Moegi held each other overwhelmed with grief. I wouldn't give them shit since I saw enough of that already. Hinata, with all the fury and courage she displayed, couldn't mask her sorrow for the loss of her cousin, who there was nothing left of save for his ruined rifle. I sighed at the misery of it all.

"COME OUT OF THERE! GET OUT YOU COWARD SON OF A BITCH!" Tenten screamed at the top of her lungs as she jumped on top of a ruined Tiger tank. She had a large stone in her hands as she banged away on the commander's hatch, trying to bust it open. "GET OUT YOU MURDERER! YOU KILLED NEJI...YOU KILLED HIM AND THERE'S NOTHING LEFT OF HIM! I KNOW YOU'RE STILL IN THERE!" She was still hysterical from his untimely death. People were gathering around, watching her furious attempt to get the twisted hunk of metal open.

"TENTEN! The tank's dead! Come down from there!" Shino yelled at her.

"NO! I STILL HEAR THEM! They're laughing at us! They killed Neji and they're laughing at his death! COME OUTTA THERE NOW!"

"Neji's dead Tenten! There's nothing you can do about it! Come down from the tank please." He barked at her. "I'm sorry Tenten, but he's gone."

After banging away for another minute with no results, her pounding became weaker and weaker as her adrenaline subsided and her arms shook in pain. She stopped, letting the rock slide off the tank. She hopped off and turned to us, breathing heavily from the grief and frustration.

"Tenten..." Kankuro muttered.

She started shaking and burst into tears. Hinata was there for her as the two of them held each other and cried grieving over Neji. It was amazing. The man was a pure dick until he came around to apologize. He atoned for his sins, but to have him die was too much for all of us.

"Neji...I loved you." Tenten sobbed.

I couldn't handle the grief. She had lost the love of her life and Lord knows if she'd ever find it again. The look on Kankuro's face was of devastation, as he had started to have feelings for Tenten and Neji's sudden death made things much, much worse. I ran to Temari with all the strength I had left, my legs feelings like cement blocks but I didn't care.

"Shikamaru..."

"Temari...I wanted to say something."

"You were going to tell me something?" Her eyes lit up with curiosity. I think she knew what I was going to say, but wanted to hear it anyway.

"Well Temari...I wanted to say that you're...well since we...I mean...oh fuck it! Temari..." I took my hands and placed them on the back of Temari's head, forcing my lips to meet hers. Words couldn't describe what I felt about her and how close we were to death without even consummating our true feelings for each other. We kissed and kissed and kissed, not caring if anyone noticed. Hell we didn't care if even Kankuro or Gaara saw us. "_I'm in love with this woman...this troublesome woman...and I've never been happier._"

"Shikamaru...I..."

"Shhhh. Don't say a word. I think we both know how we feel." I replied placing a finger on her soft lips, removing it shortly afterwards as we went for another round of kissing. Sure is wasn't overflowing with sensation like when we made love in that house for the first time, but the rush of surviving, being victorious, and confirming my love for Temari made it all the sweeter. When our lips parted I looked at her once more, her blue eyes piercing into mine, I hugged her with all my might, even if we were both in great pain. "I'll never let you go Temari. We partners gotta stick together."

"And we'll always stick together partner..."

"Through thick..."

"And through thin..."

"Come hell or high water, we'll be there for each other."

A few minutes passed as Temari and I, after sharing our warmth and affection with each other, walked over to Sarutobi. His face was dirty and dingy and his cigarette was burned near the nub. He just sat there, inspecting his weapon, trying to make sense of the chaos. No one else outside of Isshiki died in our squad and Toyama had that bad arm wound, but he was still worn down from the collective suffering of the company.

"Sergeant...is it over?"

"I wish I could say that Nara. I wish I could be that optimistic."

"You mean...?"

"That's right Nara. We still have a city to take."

"_Damn it..._"


	17. Chapter 17

Proper sleep was a luxury we in 2nd Platoon couldn't afford. Although King Company arrived a little more than an hour after Able did to relieve us, we couldn't get the jitters out of our system. Tenten was still devastated over the loss of Neji as was Naruto's protégé Konohamaru over his friend's death. I myself was racked with distress even if the romance that was blossoming between Temari and I came into the fold. The battle that had transpired had been another close call, another time we almost died had it not been for the grace of God and another ally bailing us out. First the Cloud Village and Temari's people, then the prisoner rescue and X-Ray with Able helping us, then Hill #404 and Able once again coming through in the clutch. Sometimes it made me feel as helpless as a baby. We all felt pretty helpless when the Akatsuki and their Tigers came down on us. We were worn, miserable, and exhausted. Even 2LT Lee's usual zealous demeanor had been beaten down as we had lost so many good men and women in the past few days. During the fight I paid little attention to the fact my leg was bleeding from the shrapnel wound I had thanks to the beautiful hormone known as adrenaline. After all the commotion and after Temari and I waxed romantic, my body especially my leg was banged up and sore. I swiped one of the medic bandages from a nearby crate and fixed myself up again. How one can get wounded again and again and still fight on was a testament to humanity's strength. Leaning up against a trench wall, I couldn't help but listen in on Captain Hatake's conversation with the Water captain. I poked my head over and saw the two commanders sitting down, our captain having a smoke while handing one of his cigarettes to the Water officer. It was getting dark but I managed to catch a rarity amongst the company. I saw my captain's face for the first time as he pulled his mask down. It looked rather young but I knew he was much older than I was. His look was that of stress and fatigue, his command position most definitely taking its toll on him, his face bearing much mental and physical hardship. He looked like Sarutobi right after the battle...just plain worn out.

"Your men and women performed admirably Zabuza. I don't think we could've held this without your help." The Water captain said as he pulled his mask of too and lit his smoke up.

"Agreed...and I can say the same for your lads Kakashi. I regret that we could not have been acquainted under different circumstances but I guess that's not my decision to make. We both lost a good amount of soldiers here today. I still can't get over it..."

"The burden of leadership Zabuza..."

"I've been with His Majesty's Royal Army for over fifteen years, from my days as a private to my honoured officer position today. When I was just a lad I thought leading men and women into battle would be the greatest glory I could have in service to the crown." He laughed at the irony of the statement. "Well I can say one thing Kakashi. Youthful ambition is admirable but quite full of naïveté. Sometimes I pity myself more than I do these lads."

"I won't disagree with you there friend. I mean look at these people. Some of them are almost half our age and they've been through more than any kid should. I heard from one of my lieutenants that a boy of sixteen years might I add, jumped on a grenade and saved six other soldiers. Sixteen years old Zabuza...sixteen! Can you believe it? I've lost many good men and women and I'm sure you did too..."

"I might sound off-colour but I believe I've lost count."

"But when a teenager, someone who shoulda been in a school instead of a uniform, has his life cut so short it tears even me mentally asunder. Youth huh?"

The captain must've been talking about Udon. It made me think for a minute about Sarutobi's conversation with his nephew and the look on that poor kid's face when reality finally sunk its gritty teeth into his mind.

"I heard about that poor boy. Stupid but brave boy he was and I'm sure the lads will never forget such heroism. Kakashi, do you remember the Great War? I remember I was a young buck when I was drafted into His Majesty's army."

"Hell I think I was eighteen when I was put in Konoha's army. That was towards the war's final year too...God awful fighting it was with the trenches, the mud, and the savagery. It was savagery no young boy should ever endure...ever."

"And what makes this war any less savage than the last eh my good Leaf comrade? If anything this is ten times worse and now we have to lead such children into it again and again."

Captain Hatake sighed. "I completely agree. This time I'm the one that the kids look up to. I remember the man I looked up to during my time in the Great War. Lieutenant Namikaze was his name. We were both actually under Colonel Jiraiya's own command, though he was a captain at the time. He was only about four or five years older than me, but I treated him like he was twenty years older. He taught me everything about soldiering, how to survive, how to inspire men and women, and how to lead, which is how I became an effective captain. Normally officers wouldn't get involved in the nitty gritty with his soldiers, but that man, Namikaze, took an interest in me and I admired him."

"Did this man...survive the war?"

"Oh yes he did all right. Got some nice decorations in the process doing a whole bunch of heroic deeds that even I was a part of not to brag." Captain Momochi chuckled for a second at Captain Hatake's fake modesty. "I had heard he'd fallen in love with a redheaded beauty from the Whirlpool Nation who was pregnant with his child during the war. The strangest thing is I have a private that looks frighteningly like him, an adventurous and brave, albeit thickheaded, young boy. I really didn't see much of him after the war."

"_Does he mean Naruto?_" I asked myself.

"Well I do pray for his sake that this boy that strikes a resemblance to your famed lieutenant carries the same demeanor as the very man himself." Captain Momochi muttered as he hoisted himself up from the grass or what little was left of it.

"I pray to God for that too Zabuza. It'd be a damn shame for me to let down soldiers like him."

"The burden of leadership Kakashi...it lies with us." There was a long pause afterwards. Then Captain Hatake turned towards the Water captain.

"Say Zabuza, you have any idea what you're doing now?"

"Well I did just have a few radio transmissions with my superiors. Sad thing is they're on the other side of Takigakure where my drop-off was originally intended. Figures the bloody main effort is on the other side of the objective so I believe we'll be working alongside a little more."

Captain Hatake grinned behind his mask as he fixed it back on. "Splendid. I figure we've been through one trial by fire already so why not go for an encore?"

Captain Momochi laughed. "Oh count on you Leaf soldiers to brighten up the day! Well I know we'll be attacking in the morning so I need to organize my men and get them fit for tomorrow. I bid you adieu for now Kakashi but I shall return."

"I'll be waiting Zabuza. That's all we can do...wait."

Afterwards the captains parted ways and went off to do whatever commanders do. I still thought of the two of them and sighed to myself.

"_The burden of leadership huh? What is Sarutobi kidding me with that leadership crap? If anything, hearing those two officers just killed your troublesome argument sergeant._"

"Catching up on some good, juicy eavesdropping Shikamaru?" A sarcastic voice muttered from nowhere. I jumped back a bit as my heart suffered a small jolt of surprise.

"Jesus! Troublesome woman...don't sneak up on a man like that!"

Temari then gave me a tap in my leg with just the right amount of force to not induce bleeding but make it hurt like a mother. Like a pissed child I retaliated with a nice tap on her bayonet wound causing her to wince in pain. Maturity in the face of insolence was never my forte.

"You asshole! Ya don't do that to a woman!" She shouted.

"Well what goes around comes around Temari!" Ha. Figures I'm smacking lips with her one second and the next we're shouting. Troublesome woman she is indeed.

Her hand resting on her arm wound, she just looked at me a snickered from the silliness of it all. Her face was smeared with blood and dirt and her hair was tussled and badly needed a wash, but I still found beauty in it.

"How's the arm holding up?"

"How's your body holding up?" She asked in reply. Ino got around to fixing my shoulder up despite the fact it was just a grazing wound. Better to nip an infection in the bud than play brave soldier and try to suck it up.

"It hurts, but it'd be too troublesome to let them keep me out of the fight."

She laughed as we struggled to sit down grimacing in pain. "Oh Shikamaru, your attempts at being a badass are silly at best."

"Hey I'm here all week." We laughed for a few seconds and then drew ourselves to a pause. The battle was certainly exhausting on the both of us.

"Been able to get any rest partner?" She asked me innocently.

"Nope...not one bit. However, I can tell the rush is gone considering how much my body is in sheer agony."

"Crybaby..."

I sighed. "So partner, how goes it with your brother Kankuro? I hope he's ok after what transpired."

"Kankuro? He's a stubborn as an ox as he is just as dumb so he'll be ok. If you're thinking about what the deal is with your friend Tenten I couldn't tell ya that much. I do think my little brother is getting soft for the Bazooka wielding broad but your friend getting killed by the Tiger tank certainly made that more complicated. It's...how do you say...troublesome?"

"Took the words right out of my mouth." Her tone sounded insincere but I knew deep down she cared about her brother's well-being.

"Time will tell on that one I guess." I stretched my back as far as it could go and let out a powerful yawn. "Am I the only one exhausted here or is it just me?" I asked only to receive a sarcastic sneer from Temari.

"I guess I forgot to add lazy with that previous crybaby comment." I looked at her with a look of shock, as if she believed I truly was the only one exhausted."

"God, I'm kidding!" She exclaimed. "A catnap would be just what the doctor ordered."

Finally agreeing with the troublesome broad, I closed my eyes for a few seconds and then a second later I glanced over to her as she tore some stalks of grass from the ground and ran them through her fingers gently. She looked over at me and in a horrifying instant her face flashed from normal to corpse-like with rivulets of blood running down it and then right back to normal Temari. I jerked my head back in shock as my lips trembled.

"Shikamaru? Are you ok?" Her face was normal again as I shook my head. "Are you..." and then again her face became that of death itself, "ok Shikamaru?" Her voice became warped as the ground shook slightly, the sky turning midnight black. A haunting voice carried itself through the air.

"_You mustn't fail boy...or they __will__ die..._"

"No...NO! Out of my head!" I screamed. "Get out!" I grabbed my head and shook it violently. The death woman that was Temari reached its hand out as if it was lunging for my soul. "Get away!"

"_Death comes when you least expect it boy...be on your toes...you better not fail._" The demonic voice rang from the sky again. I thrashed and wailed trying to get it all to stop. Something fierce grabbed my arm. "Get it off of me! Get off of me!"

"SHIKAMARU!" When I came to I saw Temari grabbing both of my arms with hers, her bluish eyes staring deep into my own with concern and fright. My pulse was still pounding and my hands shaking uncontrollably. I looked around to see my canteen spilled over along with my rifle. I was lying on the ground and smeared with grass stains.

"Temari...what the hell was going on?"

"You took a nap for about a half-hour and then that! Shikamaru...what the hell was that all about?"

I did my best to come up with a proper response. Was I going insane? Was it a dream like the one before Hill #404...or was it an omen of sorts? "I don't know Temari...I really don't. I just have this awful feeling though. My mind is fucking with me...I think I'm seeing things, horrible things about this war and about everyone I care about. It's anguishing."

"Well," she muttered as she looked over at the direction of Takigakure, "I don't believe in omens, but I have a bad feeling about what's to come as well." She then drew me closer to her and embraced me in a hug, her hand stroking my head ever so gently. "It's ok Shikamaru...you're not alone in your fears." I put my arms around her as well, comforted by the affection but also ashamed that a woman would see me so vulnerable.

"_If only you knew the half of it Temari..._"

Hill #404 was still a wreck. Between burning halftracks and tanks, smoking craters, and patches of earth still ablaze from the carnage, it was as if Hell itself visited this area. We along with our Sand and Water allies gathered the dead and commenced with the burials. We all gathered to pay our respects to our lost comrades, especially those in our platoon who died. We recovered Isshiki's body from the trenches down the hill and buried him with our blessing in the next life. Udon's body was draped in a large cloth and lowered into his hole, his rifle jammed in the ground in front of him. Konohamaru clung on to Moegi as they said their final goodbye to their friend. Tenten and Hinata were still swelled with tears as there was no hole dug for Neji but instead his ruined rifle placed barrel-first into the ground with his name etched into the stock as legibly as possible. Temari and I held hands as 2LT Lee and Shino said a prayer and gave a few words of eulogy concerning the departed with the usual scripted talk of a better place and the nobility of their deaths. Yeah...like any death is worthwhile. Tenten had no longer become hysterical with Neji's passing, but we could still see the burning hatred she harbored towards the Akatsuki and the sadness of losing someone that close to her.

"Naruto..."

"Yes Hinata?"

"C-could you l-l-leave me for a f-few minutes...with Neji? I n-n-need to speak to him one l-last t-time. I don't w-want to get rid of you, b-but it's just s-s-something personal." She sputtered out still choked up.

"Sure thing Hinata. I'll be waiting somewhere with Shikamaru and the rest. I understand it's a family thing."

The two kissed before parting and while Hinata turned and knelt down beside Neji's rifle, Naruto accompanied Choji and me towards a small, semi-secluded mound where we proceeded to shoot the shit again like we did when we were first friends.

"God Almighty...I know I look as strong as a bull but holy shit does that shot I took in the leg still smart!" Choji lamented.

"Join the club Choji. I mean Naruto got himself a nasty concussion and I've got some grazing wounds and had a nice, hot chunk of metal dig into my leg just a little bit. I think God wants us debilitated rather than dead." We all chuckled at my cynicism.

"Hey Choji..."

"Yeah Shikamaru?"

"Remember that dream I told you about? I had something like that again just an hour ago."

"Jesus. I'm startin' to think you might need to might need to see a shrink or something. Bad vibes seem to follow you like a fat kid on cake."

"Quit talkin' about yourself Choji." Naruto chimed in, getting a laugh out of me. Surprising to see such dry wit in him but it always came at the right comedic moment when and if it did.

"Well I mean we've been pretty good up until now. Neji just died and he was somewhat close to our little social circle. I'm just worried about the safety of our friends. I mean yeah it's a war and all but I'm really gettin' the jitters and my mind just wants to be a dick."

"Does being with Temari help you at all Shikamaru?" Naruto asked.

"It does...and then it doesn't. I mean yeah it's strange coming from a lazy asshole like me but she does make me feel better when I'm around her, but the innate fear of her in serious danger really screws with my head."

"Hey you're not alone Shikamaru. I've got Hinata to always worry about and I'm sure deep down Choji's got Ino to defend. We're the burdened knights in shining armor, seeking glory and purpose in the heat of battle."

"I'd prefer my armor to be dull as to not attract unwanted attention Naruto but of course I understand if you like to get all eyes on you." I replied to his asinine statement.

"Lazy ass..."

"Wouldn't be Shikamaru Nara if I wasn't slothful at times my good man."

"When you're right Shikamaru, you are most certainly right." Naruto said. He then looked at the both of us and then at himself. Our uniforms looked like pure shit, our rifles were dusty and dirty, and our bodies were torn up and bruised. "Jesus, I can't believe we're about to attack the Soundies in Takigakure looking like the living dead!"

"Heya boyos! How're ya doin' after that last scrap? I admit that was a mighty close one!" The jovial voice of Corporal Inari asked us as he approached.

"Ah Inari...glad you could join us!" I said back to him. "Sit down. We were just having a pleasant discussion of how God awful we look right before we liberate a capital city."

He chuckled. "Aye, I believe I be right when I do say ya look worse than a drunk in his own vomit. Ya mind if I have a fag?"

"A what?" Choji asked rather bemused.

"Ya know, a fag...a smoke, a cigarette?"

"Oh oh...oh hell no, no problem here." It seemed it would still take some time to get used to those Water and Wind dialects.

He took one out of his front pocket. It looked a little bent and worn but it lit up just like one of Sarutobi's. "Ah now that's better! Ya boys want one?" We declined respectfully. "Now, fire away whatever ya guys were talkin' about."

"Oh, well Naruto was just sayin' we certainly don't look like a proper liberation force. I mean look at us Inari. We look like we just walked out of a torture chamber."

"Yeah," Naruto agreed, "I mean this battle was torture enough. Where's the glory in freeing Takigakure when all they'll see is us like this?"

"Look," Inari paused as he took another drag from his smoke, "the way I see it lads, is that this war is not about seeking glory or somethin' like that. I've seen too much to buy into that crap. I volunteered to fight for the basic reason of wantin' me loved ones to be safe. Ya shouldn't be seeking some fancy pants medal or ribbon or something. How about just tryin' ta live so your ma or da can see ya back home and not in a box? I mean, I'm sure there's also a special vixen who makes ya wanna keep on livin' am I right boys? I know my special lady is back home and I'll be damned if I let 'er down and get m'self shot up."

We said nothing and only listened to the man's attempted words of wisdom. He was right though, as much as it pained some people like Naruto who craved recognition and fame. Some of us had families and deep down we had a woman we couldn't let down. Naruto had Hinata; Choji had Ino to look after even if she had little attraction to him, and I had...well I had Temari.

"Wow. Pretty deep words coming from one such as yourself Inari..." Naruto complimented.

"Ah a good nip o' whiskey helps gentlemen. I seem ta have struck a note with you boys."

"Well it's a good thing you and the rest of the Water and Wave soldiers showed up. I think we couldn't find better people to fight the Soundies with along with my two good pals Shikamaru and Choji."

"I'll drink to that my good man."

"HEY NARUTO!" A voice rang out from the distance. It was Captain Umino waving at him. "HEY C'MERE! I WANNA TALK TO YA!"

"I'LL BE RIGHT THERE SIR!" He shouted in reply. "Well I gotta take off guys, but I'll be seein' ya in an hour or so." He got up and jogged towards the captain while we continued to stare off into the horizon.

"Good kid. He'll be big one day I bet, sure as sure." Inari said.

"Well he's got the gusto and the dedication I'll tell ya," I chimed in, "but as far as brains he's not quite there."

"Ha! Well sometimes it isn't always the professor that reaps the rewards of hard work." Inari replied. "Oh about before, ya two have any ladies? Oh wait I forgot Corporal Nara, you're fixin' yerself up with that Sand beauty right?" I turned a little red from the awkwardness which gave him a clear message. "And you, Private Akimichi am I right?" Choji nodded. "You have anyone ya got your sights on?" This guy certainly seemed more than inquisitive but I guess you can't bond with someone unless you get to know them.

"Well...there is this one girl, Ino Yamanaka's her name. Our families along with Shikamaru's have been friends since we were born. She's also a blonde like Shikamaru's girlfriend..."

"_God I still hate that term even if I do like Temari! I really wish he and other people would stop saying stuff like that. It's so troublesome to deal with._" I thought to myself annoyed by Choji yet again.

Choji prattled on, "and sure she's a bit of a jerk and can be downright antagonistic when she has her mood swings, but I've always thought she was pretty and someone I really cared for. I've been trying to ask her out for "

"Yeah," I butted my way into the conversation, "and the biggest drag is that the number of times he's asked her out and gotten rejected is in the triple digits." Inari laughed for a few seconds and then stopped to think about what to say next.

"Well if ya want my opinion, and believe me some people think I can be as thick as a ditch, but I've gone for many a lady only to get a slap on the face but I keep on tryin'. Then again I might've been in the numbs and gone off trick actin' some of those times but that's beside the point. I wouldn't let her get ya vexed and you should keep on tryin' as well! Hell that's what we Wave people are famous for, never givin' up! You show her you mean business and that you really care and she'll come around. Ya have my word."

"Thanks Inari." It had been some time since someone outside of Sarutobi, Naruto, and I gave Choji some serious words of encouragement. He looked as if he had some restored morale that was discovered deep inside. Hell maybe he did have a shot with Ino, but who am I to judge eh?

A few more minutes passed by as we smoked and joked about the brass, back home, and women. A small thought kept digging from my subconscious and forced its way out through my mouth.

"Hey Choji...ya noticed anything different about Hinata recently?"

"I think I already know where you're driving at. I know...I saw her when we took this hill and when we were defending it. It seems that our little Hinata is getting slightly aggressive."

"I think slightly aggressive is a bit of an understatement. I think she's getting stricken with bloodlust. I saw the way she defended alongside Naruto, but I don't know if Naruto happened to notice. It was as if she was relishing in killing this whole time, like it helps her get one step closer to her goal."

"Well we've known her for a while and we've always seen the meek, timid girl that's existed up until recently. You're right there is a big concern for her and I'm hoping our pal Naruto is there to see it. The last thing we'd want is for her to start losing it and with Neji's repentance and subsequent passing, which is a complete tragedy if you ask me things aren't looking like they'll get better."

"This war's no place for a sweet girl like her." Inari chimed in. "What's she actin' all vicious for anyway?"

"That blonde kid who just took off about fifteen minutes ago."

"Ah I see. Funny how love makes people do the most opposite things to their nature am I right?"

"_More right than you'll ever know..._" I replied in my head. "Ya know Inari you'd get along rather well with a friend of ours named Shino Aburame. You read a lot or something?"

"Life's been pretty hard on me since I've been born boyo. I've been havin' a few lessons on everythin' here an' there from fightin' to lovin'. It's tough...mighty tough."

I sighed. "_Poor Hinata...I mean it was good that she finally got with Naruto but I am still afraid for her. She's honestly so determined to be brave in front of her love Naruto that she'll even charge right into the fire and she's just a medic. When I saw her fight it was as if I saw a whole new person coming out, a scarier and more savage Hinata Hyuga. It was someone I'd prefer not seeing. God I hope this war won't turn you into that. Naruto...you have to be there for her. Let her know how brave she is and how proud you are before she gets herself killed._"

"Hey Nara! Akimichi! Rears in gear gentlemen because I need you with the rest right now!" The familiar voice of Sarutobi shouted from about fifty meters away.

"We'll be right there sergeant!" I yelled back. "Well Inari, it was a pleasure talkin' to you again. I assume Staff Sergeant Haku and Captain Momochi will most likely be rounding everyone up eh?"

"You are correct there my good man so I best be off. Until next time..."

We ran off to Sarutobi where he, Ino, Hanzo, Temari, and Toyama were sitting down. They were restocking their ammo and water supplies while Ino gathered up what medical equipment she could muster. They were about as worn out as we were. All around us squads were gathering up to allocate ammunition and scavenge what they could find amongst the dead and the abandoned equipment like sneak thieves, but it was completely out of necessity.

"Sergeant, anything from the commanders?" Choji asked.

"I just got the word from 2LT Lee about our next moves. We're to assault Takigakure in the morning, but I know there's no surprise there 3rd squad."

"What about reinforcements and/or replacements?" Ino asked. We had already lost two of our own despite us picking up Temari and I didn't blame her one bit for asking.

"None." He answered sternly causing much frustration amongst the squad. "Though Fox Company is at only sixty to fifty-five percent its fighting strength, the brass seem to think that with Able and King we should be all right in a support role."

"A support role sergeant?" Hanzo asked.

"Yep you heard me. Fox Company will be acting as a support platform for King Company and the other forces pushing through from the east. We got hit really hard as compared to most of the other units so to prevent excessive casualties Colonel Jiraiya had us geared more towards securing passageways and holding off attackers while the main effort pushes through."

"So where exactly will we be establishing ourselves and pushing through?" I pondered.

"I'm glad you asked Nara because here's the layout of Takigakure." Sarutobi pulled out a tactical map and under the light of the setting sun and a bonfire lit to keep us warm, we gathered around trying to get a good glimpse of the city map. "Ok guys, intelligence believes that right here," he said as he pointed to the western front of the city, "is the most weakly defended area. Able is lending us two Sherman tanks for the offensive while the rest of them push up with King Company into the heart of the city. Turns out the Air Corps is also gonna have some fun in this by sending strafing and bombing runs in before we get there. Save for some MG positions and possibly larger guns we won't be facing much of an armored threat. We and the fellas from Lima Company will punch a hole through their defenses and establish support positions to prevent a counterattack or to cover any allied advance. The LT has us merged in with the Water forces so once we establish a foothold we'll get to coordinating with them. I want Akimichi in a high point near this set of apartment complexes while Nara and Temari will establish a lookout post along with Hanzo on any floor above our .30 cal. Yamanaka you'll be responsible for triage of any wounded in the squad while assisting the other medics in a building rear of our frontline. Toyama you'll be accompanying me to assist Akimichi if he gets in any trouble."

"Sounds like a small amount of people covering such a large area." Toyama said rather concerned.

"Well we don't have much but I know 4th squad will likely be with us in our garrisoned building provided it's not a heaping pile of rubble. 1st and 2nd squads will most likely garrison the closest available building to us. The Soundies will most definitely be dug in something fierce so once we pry them out we have to keep them out. Sure our forces might be spread thin but with guts, determination, and maybe a little help from the man upstairs we might live through this."

"_Great...just what I wanted to hear. Our chances of success and survival once again rely on intangibles. Fucking troublesome..._"

"Ok with that are there any questions?"

"Yeah I have one," I said raising my hand, "how well do you honestly think we'll fare against the Soundies and possibly the Akatsuki? I mean a good lot of us are injured or wounded somehow." Count on me to be the pessimist of the bunch.

"Shit Nara I figured you'd be the one to ask that. Like I said though, if we stay sharp and stay vigilant we might get through this one rather unscathed. The Konoha Army says if you can still carry your rifle and you can still shoot, then you can still fight. You should worry more about King and Able Company since they'll be more in the thick of it."

"Like I haven't heard that one before..." I muttered under my breath.

"What was that corporal?" Sarutobi, with his typical supernatural senses, must've picked up my comment.

"Nothing sergeant, just the troublesome jitters again."

"You seem to be getting that a lot. You'll be all right Nara as will the rest of us. Yeah we're all nervous now 3rd squad but we just need some rest. King Company has security so after some more planning and rehearsal we can bed down."

And so we went on with our planning and our rehearsals for the next two hours. Sarutobi had also mentioned we'd be attacking sometime around five or six o'clock in the morning. Our bodies were already near their limit but then again soldiers couldn't always take a break like your common schmuck in the office could. We went through possibly all that we rationally could given the circumstances. We had a meager resupply, reduced manpower, and more crammed vehicle quarters, all in all a pretty shitty situation. Luckily for us in Fox Company we had many others helping us out, particularly that of the Water Airborne, Able and Baker Company's tanks, our artillery, the Air Corps, and the other infantryman, so maybe Sarutobi was right. Maybe our job will be a little easier than expected.

"Ok 2nd Platoon! We're done for now! Stock up on any and all supplies and get with your squad leaders for rest plan! We got a big day tomorrow and we can't be fucking it up due to fatigue." Sergeant Yamato yelled to everyone in their collective gaggle. Quickly we dispersed to Sarutobi who basically told us to rack out with as little words as possible. Finally after all that fighting and shooting and killing...some fucking well-deserved sleep if we could even get any. I looked around and saw Choji, Ino, and some of the others passed out instantaneously from the fatigue while some others like Tenten and Kankuro were still a little shaky, tossing and turning in their kits. The two kids Moegi and Konohamaru, still heartbroken, laid still in their blankets restless from the dose of reality given to them only hours ago. Gaara and Shino were peacefully asleep, their minds most likely comfortable with what will happen. Shino always was comfortable in most situations since his religiousness seemed to come with an aura of confidence, as if some higher power was always on his side and he had little to worry about. Gaara was probably not worried since it'd be another day for him exacting his vengeance on the Sound for what they did to his family and people and it was something he enjoyed in spades. Naruto was sitting and talking with Hinata by one of the fires. I couldn't hear much but from what I could hear Naruto was essentially talking about the upcoming fight and what I hoped would be Hinata's well-being. Naruto put his arm around her and held her close while she responded in kind, his hand stroking her dirty but still elegant indigo hair.

"_The two of them do make a damn great couple. I just hope they'll ride this thing through to the end of the war. Hell I hope I can do the same with..._"

I snapped out of my inner thought, alarmed by a shuffling and unrolling of a sleep kit.

"Those troublesome jitters...they'll make ya lose some shuteye eh partner?" It was Temari fixing her blankets as she crawled into them and laid on her side, looking at me with her blue eyes.

"_Ah Temari...always there next to me when I want it or not. You're too troublesome sometimes but then again I like that_." I thought with a slight smile on my face. "Yeah, they are troublesome indeed partner. I reckon we should get some proper sleep time. We'll definitely be needing as much as possible to take this city."

"Shikamaru?"

"Yes Temari?"

"You really are worried to death aren't you?" Her look changed from a playful smile to a concerned frown.

"In truth yes I am. I don't want to since a soldier shouldn't be getting weak like that, but I am worried about failing you or the rest. I don't want anyone hurt because I failed to do my duty as a Konoha soldier. I don't want to..." She interrupted me as she leaned forward to plant a kiss on my lips. My heart stopped beating rapidly for a few seconds as her gentle touch once again and ironically soothed the troubled soul.

"Stop worrying so much Shikamaru. You won't fail because I'll make sure ya won't fail."

I grinned. "Thanks again Temari. Seems like the only ones that calm my chills are troublesome women like my mother or you."

"Must be something about us then wouldn't ya say partner? How about I show you some real trouble?" She patted the ground next to her, inviting me to join her, and I did without delay. I set my stuff up right next to hers and combined our blankets. I turned to her.

"Temari, you're too troublesome sometimes."

"Would you like me if I wasn't Shikamaru?" She asked while unbuttoning her shirt. I swear this woman will either be the death of me or the greatest thing ever for me. I leaned over and held her tight while our skin touched once more, our lips locking once more, and the passion reignited. We made sure we were as quiet as possible as to not wake up the others. Sure we were filthy from all the fighting but we didn't care one bit because we were together again in the lull before the storm, passionately embracing each other ever so subtly. Another night to remember...before the coming of the carnage.

"Fox Company! Fox Company load up in twenty minutes!" It was all I could hear as my peaceful slumber with Temari came to an abrupt halt. I checked my watch and it read 5:12AM. Son of a bitch! It was game time and we had to be up and at 'em.

"C'mon Shikamaru it's time to move out. We've got a city to liberate partner."

"Uhhnnnn didn't we do enough of that last night?" I asked groggily. I must admit trying to have intimate relations with that girl in front of a sleeping platoon was no easy task but we wouldn't have let that ever get in the way.

"If you mean our libidos then yes but otherwise it's time for your lazy ass to get up."

"Ah God damn it..."

In about ten minutes I got my things together and linked up with Sarutobi, who from the looks of it was up almost an hour before I did.

"Get enough sleep there Princess Nara?" He jabbed.

"Never enough sergeant...not when there's fighting to be done."

"That's the answer I like to hear. C'mon the rest are waiting for us."

We rushed over to the halftracks that managed to survive the assault from the Akatsuki. There were still enough to transport us while some of the others were forced to cram into the Jeeps. The Water forces, or what was left of them, got in the medic and supply trucks along with 3rd and 4th Platoon's trucks. They would have the shittiest ride of all if ya asked me.

"C'mon Choji let's shake a leg!" I yelled to him as I helped hoist him up to his seat.

"Oh that we shall Shikamaru. I've been waitin' for this for hours!"

"Good." I noticed Naruto getting to his truck. "HEY NARUTO!"

"Yeah what is it Shikamaru?"

I paused for a second, then came up with what I wanted to say. "Naruto, keep an eye on Hinata and keep her outta trouble no matter how much she wants to be brave for you. She's all you got and if I were you I'd treat her like precious gold."

He nodded. "Ok Shikamaru, you don't have to tell me twice. I'll protect her like I would you or my other friends, with my life! Believe it!"

"Good luck Naruto!"

"Good luck Shikamaru!" He waved before hopping aboard his truck.

"_Good luck Naruto and Hinata...you'll need it_."

In about ten minutes the trucks were moving and we were approaching the beast known as Takigakure. Above us the fighter-bombers of the Air Corps flew as they set to sink their teeth in some Soundie defenses. We sped through the roads as fast as we could while Able stayed in front to act as our breach and our shield. We listening to the chatter between the captains as we got closer to our objective.

"All right Able it's time to do what we do best and open up Sound defenses like tin cans!"

"Just stick to your promises Iruka," our captain sternly said, "and we'll hold our end of the bargain."

"Oh hell Kakashi! There's no worrying with Captain Iruka Umino's armor! Ebisu and Aoba Yamashiro are more than capable of doing the job am I right fellas?"

"Yes sir!" They both enthusiastically replied.

"I know I'm not really a part of this," Captain Momochi cut in, "but I want you all to know I'm honoured to be serving alongside you lads and the troops and I owe you a great debt for saving us. We won't fail you one bit."

"The feelings are mutual Captain Momochi. We're all brothers in arms and like brothers we'll stick together!" Captain Hatake assured him. "Fox Company get ready. We'll be approaching our target in less than ten minutes!"

"Game time again huh Nara?" Sarutobi asked me as he looked at me from his right side.

"Game time indeed sergeant. Time to really show them what we're made of."

We looked over the sides to see the Air Corps planes circling Takigakure. They had already unloaded their bombs and now were just trying to strafe any unlucky bastards caught in their sights. We cheered watching the helplessness of the Soundies against our air power. Suddenly a stream of bullets flew right towards one of our planes. It's left wing caught fire as it then fell off, the plane plummeting into a nearby building and crushing whatever poor saps might be in there if there were any. We stared in shock and horror as the one part of our military we thought was near invincible here was just humbled by the Soundies.

"Fuck!" Sarutobi yelled. "They must have Ostwinds or Wirblewinds in there!"

"Attention all units! We must destroy any and all anti-aircraft batteries in the city!" Captain Umino yelled in the radio.

"Western walls in sight, prepare to fire on my mark..." The Sherman _Falling Leaves_ said accompanied by the other Sherman _Death Seal_. "Ready...FIRE!" With that the two tanks opened up on the walls, blowing a nice section out already. They were greeted with machine gun fire and streaking rockets.

"Hey Ebisu look! They think they can get us with their MG42! How cute!" The tanker named Aoba joked.

"Well then let's show them the futility of doing so!" They fired again at the window slots were the MG teams were, obliterating one of them and most likely knocking the second one out. Fire got more and more intense as we approached.

"Prepare to dismount 3rd squad!" Sarutobi screamed. All around us the trucks were getting into position. Then the mortars came...always with the fucking mortars. They were like the plague that descended on poor schmucks like us with little regard for the more imposing tanks ahead of us. "Get out 3rd get out! Get to the walls!"

As the truck ground to a halt we bailed over the sides, a sharp blast of pain running through my leg where the shrapnel wound was. Choji stumbled with his machine gun in tow but with the help of Toyama and Ino he was back on his feet. The poor driver of our truck was riddled with MG bullets as his passenger bailed out in time. A couple rounds hit the engine and the halftrack started to smoke.

"Oh shit!" I screamed. "C'mon Temari, c'mon everyone we gotta move! This truck's gonna blow!" I grabbed Temari by the hand and sprinted to the next truck ahead of us as ten seconds later the truck blew apart, sending metal and wood everywhere. Lucky for us no one looked hurt from the blast.

"Jesus that was a close one!" Temari yelled near my ear.

"You can say that again." I replied. I took the liberty of lining up my sights on a lone Sound rifleman who was taking potshots at 4th squad. A simple pull of the trigger and he fell out the window and it would be one less we'd worry about. Temari followed my example and took a Panzerschreck soldier out of commission. The mortars continued to pound us as a couple of soldiers from 4th platoon were send flying in the air. The tanks blew the gap in the wall even wider only to have more bullets fly out of it.

"_Weakly defended Sarutobi? Weakly defended my ass...these assholes knew we were coming!_"

"That's it Fox Company! The breach as been made! We're taking this spot of the city right here, right now!" First Sergeant Guy screamed. "CHARGE!"

Like the fierce warriors of old we charged in, screaming and hollering all sorts of inane babble towards ourselves and the enemy. Those Soundies in the windows went down quickly from our assault while two more of our company fell and a couple more from Lima Company, and we knew there'd be a whole lot more death once we got inside.

"_Death comes when you least expect it boy...you best not fail them._" The haunting voice rang through my head. I aimed to prove that sum'bitch voice wrong. I will not fail!

"That's it Fox Company! Into the breach! INTO THE BREACH!"

Into the breach once more we went to fight the enemies of liberty. Into the breach once more we went to fight for Konoha. Into the breach once more we entered the slaughter.


	18. Chapter 18

"INCOMING FIRE GET DOWN!" The anonymous scream greeted me as my squad made it through the breach with little direct fire alas only to be greeted ceremoniously by its indirect cousin.

"Wonderful way to start the party eh sergeant?" I yelled to Sarutobi who was shielding himself behind a stone pillar.

"Damn it Nara must you always be this sarcastic?" He screamed in between the streaming bullets.

"Would I be your Corporal Nara if I wasn't?" I asked in reply.

1st Platoon had made the brave charge in first with First Sergeant Guy in the lead. How he wasn't torn to shreds from the Sound guns the second he ran through was a mystery to us all. I saw about three of the soldiers near him fall to enemy fire though before our own return fire cut the enemy down to size. Already started the fight with five more deaths...just great.

"3rd squad...we're clearing that building over there! The LT sees that as a great vantage point and right now the Soundies have it! Akimichi, Yamanaka, Toyama, you stick with me and flank the left. Nara, Temari, and Hanzo, keep some suppressing fire on it and break through the front!" The sergeant yelled while pointing to a beige three-story house where some Soundies had set up an MG nest. It was across the street from where our assault force had been holed up. If we could punch through and take those buildings then we'd have more of an advantage fighting the next wave of defenders.

"4th squad keep your fire on those windows while Sarutobi's guys get through! We're sharing that heap with them so don't wreck it too much!" Sergeant Mitarashi yelled in accompaniment as Naruto and Konohamaru wasted no time emptying their magazines into the windows. They managed to tag one of the riflemen but that MG nest was stubborn as hell. Temari had tried to take a couple of shots but to no avail...they were pretty dug in.

"Got an unwanted houseguest there fellas?" The _Death Seal_ chirped through the radio nearby. Its cannon swerved to the sandbagged position and blew it to pieces before the poor bastards could even react. "Now get! You've got that house to take!"

"Give them some more covering fire Uzumaki!" Mitarashi screamed again.

"Covering fire!" Naruto let loose another barrage from his B.A.R. while Kuze assisted with some potshots while we sprinted towards the front. I ran right up to the front door, a semi-broken, blue wooden door that had looked like it'd gone through its fair share of damage.

"Hanzo get your B.A.R. ready..." I said as we got ready to charge in. "On three...one...two...three!" I swung the door open and Hanzo blasted the first defender away while Temari got the drop on the second with her pistol. We rushed into the main room on the first floor where a couple more Soundies were but we made short work of them. I ran towards the staircase only to see an assault trooper ready to perforate me.

"Jesus Shikamaru watch it!" Hanzo yelled as he and Temari yanked me back while a stream of bullets flew past where I was just standing.

"Sergeant! Enemies on the second floor! We need a little hand!"

"Thought you'd never ask Nara!" Sarutobi yelled from outside the window. "Ok Toyama, pull pins and toss on my mark...and...throw!" We heard the metal clanks of the grenades hit the floor above us as we crouched underneath what we could find while our friends above shouted in panic. The shockwaves kicked the dust and debris off the floor and a few seconds later barring the chaos outside we heard nothing. We carefully went up the stairs to only see the dead Soundies from the grenades, but we still kept our eye out for someone around the corner.

"Clear! Sergeant you can come in now!" Judging by the loud slam Sarutobi decided to get a little fierce and kick the door down, the four of them rushing up. We cleared the second floor stopping where the destroyed MG nest was. I heard some commotion above and raised my hand to stop Toyama and Sarutobi from running up.

"_I hear two of them._" I signaled to the group. "_Grenades?_"

"_Ok. Nara and Temari,"_ the sergeant signaled back to me, "_right up the stairs and then flush through_." You'd think it'd be hard to carry out orders with just gestures but you'd be amazed at Sarutobi's skill. Temari primed one of the looted stick grenades she took of a dead Soundie and handed me another. Our own grenades were good but these had a little extra throwing power and could pack a mean punch. With our explosives primed we quickly chucked them up the stairs while narrowly dodging a couple shots. Their screams were silenced after two sharp booms shook the floors. Hanzo and Toyama led the charge up as we found only one surviving Soundie who was too shocked to even put up a fight. Ino took one swing and knocked the woman out like a light.

"Well Yamanaka since you found it in your best interest to go martial arts on her how about you take her down to the first floor and tie her up huh?" Sarutobi sarcastically ordered as Ino begrudgingly dragged the unconscious woman down the stairs.

"Here I'll help Ino..." Choji like the lumbering dope he can be played the nice guy again and simply picked up the Sound woman with little effort while Ino took Choji's ammo as a replacement. She let out a slightly hidden smile which I caught from the corner of my eye.

"Ok the house is clear. Toyama signal to 4th squad that we have this house for them to use and Akimichi I want that MG set up pronto! Nara and Temari I want you to get a good look ahead and soften up any Soundies you might see. Look first and then when we're in position start taking shots you got that?"

"Yes sergeant." The two of us set our sights on any possible Soundie positions while Hanzo assisted with the binoculars Sarutobi lent him. So far the coast was clear as in no one had seen us, but the Soundies were flooding the streets readying themselves to repulse any more of our assaults.

"Fucking shame we can't go to town already eh partner?" Temari muttered to me.

"Yeah I know. Troublesome how we have to be patient once more, but then again the patient hunter gets the prey."

"Well said Shikamaru." She replied with a confident grin. The commotion downstairs must've meant that 4th squad found their way inside with Sergeant Mitarashi already screaming enough to give even Sarutobi a headache. According to the sergeant they'd stay more in the first and second floors offering their fires whilst we snipers kept hidden above.

"_Excellent...back to my true calling._"

".30 cal set sergeant! I'm awaiting your orders!" Choji said below. Temari and I listened in.

"Good work Akimichi. As you can see the Soundies are setting themselves up for another push but once the LT gives the signal I want you to pour as much fire as you can on those positions! The other gunners from the platoon will accompany you in the nearby buildings. Toyama will be your spotter and ammo loader. I'll be with you offering cover. If you take heat get to another position but if it's so bad pray to God our snipers can do the work you can't."

"Ah jeez thanks for the vote of confidence Sarutobi." I muttered getting a snicker out of Temari and Hanzo.

"Sound assault force coming in!" Naruto yelled as a rocket streaked towards the first floor, missing 4th squad by about thirty feet in front of them. "Smokescreens!" Another rocket slammed into the building to the left of us, stone and dust flying everywhere. I was sure it didn't hit anyone though thank God.

A thick grey cloud enveloped the streets ahead of us as the sudden rush of footsteps of the Sound came towards us.

"Looks like the party started without us being ready! Ok guys let 'em have it!" Hanzo said as the first few Sound storm troopers rushed through. Poor bastards got nowhere near as I pumped my first shot into one of them, the man falling on his side. Temari nailed the rocket soldier who fired before as he tried to line his sights up again. Choji wasted no time spraying his gun in all directions cutting down two more of the enemy. The first wave had been cut down rather unmercifully but I knew they'd do the same to us. Their fire at first was panicky and lacked focus, but after about ten minutes of the attack they got wiser. A stick grenade blew one unlucky man from 3rd Platoon away while a woman from 1st Platoon did her best to hide behind a wooden wagon but a few bullets got through and killed her on the spot. We were lucky that no one had noticed us yet. The smoke had cleared to reveal the Soundies in concentrated positions in the buildings nearby pouring fire on our positions. I could see no large gains being made by either side anytime soon.

"Wirblewind at two o'clock!" Choji yelled as the grinding of tracks made it obvious that it wasn't just infantry that decided to have fun stopping us. The turret of the machine turned towards one of our garrisoned buildings.

"Shit get down guys!" I yelled as he hit the deck. It sprayed its four cannons on some poor shmucks two buildings away from ours. A couple screams gave the signal someone either died or was seriously hurt. It continued its loud staccato fire across the whole set of buildings. This time we were a little more prepared as everyone got down while the anti-aircraft bullets chipped away at the buildings. A yelp of pain downstairs rang out as Konohamaru's voice whined in agony. Shit he must've gotten hurt.

"It's all right private!" Sergeant Mitarashi's voice carried through the fire. "Just a small piece of shrapnel in your shoulder...so quit yer cryin'! No one in my squad's gonna puss out like that! Medic! Kankuro, get your fucking stove pipe and take that thing out! We'll cover you and pray your little gal pal Private Tenten is thinking what we're thinking! Where are those God damned tankers when I need 'em?" I had reason to believe our friendly tankers were busy with other forms of resistance.

"On it sergeant!" I was busy trying to thin the Sound numbers down with Temari and Hanzo to see what Kankuro was doing but there was a loud commotion going on as he was most likely trying to get positioned where he wouldn't get pasted. "Back blast area all clear! Firing!" A loud whoosh was followed by a screaming rocket. I looked out as best I could to see his shot glancing the Wirblewind on the left side, shaking it but not killing it.

"Fuck I nicked it!" He yelled in frustration. Suddenly another rocket came whizzing down in the streets and nailed it at the turret area, causing a massive explosion. Tenten quickly stuck her head out and waved to our building. I bet that possibly struck something with Kankuro even if that wasn't the intention.

"Fucking awesome shot Tenten!" yelled Hanzo. That was one piece of armor they couldn't stop us with anymore.

A large mass of Leaf Soldiers accompanied by Water and Sand troopers started pouring their fires on the stunned Sound troops along with advancing up the street. 4th squad had also come out to clear the buildings up ahead, covering each other each step closer they made. A Sand fighter fell as a window gunner got the drop on him and a Water soldier was thrown into the air from a well tossed grenade. I spotted an MG team giving 2nd squad some grief as Sasuke was pinned behind a stone fence most likely cursing at the Soundies and at Kiba or Shino. A quick lineup was all I needed as I nailed the gunner, his spotter's eyes widening in shock. Suddenly, after the recoil, a sharp pain shook through my shoulder as I glanced at it to see crimson soaking into the cloth of my uniform. "_Damn it...not now...not fucking now!_" The wound from my previous battle must've reopened itself!

"Shikamaru your arm!" Temari inspected it with a look of utter concern covering her face as Hanzo continued to fire.

"I'll be all right...you worry about yourself!" I replied defiantly. I wasn't about to let some pain stop me from protecting my comrades. I aimed at another Soundie and nailed him right in the chest, but the recoil made my shoulder ache all over again. I grimaced from the pain while Temari turned to see me clutching my arm.

"_Fuck...not now! I can't...let it...get to me. I have to...keep...fighting it!_"

"C'mon Shikamaru now is not the time to be stubborn! Hold still!"

"Listen to her Nara..." Hanzo added.

"No Temari it's ok I'm..." I squirmed as she tried to reach my arm.

"I said hold still God damn it!" She yelled. It had been a while since she yelled at me so angrily. My look towards her was of surprise but a few seconds later it turned to understanding given her outright concern for me. She untied her Sand resistance armband and carefully, as we hugged the back wall, wrapped it around my shoulder and underneath my armpit. She pulled it tighter as the blood started to soak into her white cloth as well but it didn't matter. "There...that should help."

"Temari...thank you." I muttered as I stroked her cheek softly with a faint smile. "_Damn this troublesome woman. If we survive this war I wonder what we're gonna do with each other Temari._"

"Hey I hate to break up the romance but we're still in the fight so how 'bout it guys?" Hanzo yelled at the two of us.

"Right...shall we partner?" I asked Temari. She nodded and we slunk back to our positions.

Outside the battle felt like we were an isolated pocket while everyone else were linked in some grand assault on Takigakure. Our aim was to push as one massive line into the Sound positions and grind them down into a corner where they'd either surrender or our main body along with the Air Corps would smash them to nothingness. So far Temari, Hanzo, and I were relatively unscathed and undetected to all the Soundies except the ones we killed personally. There was yelling and screaming all around, be it the shouting of orders or the groans of dying men and women, all mixed into one disharmonious melody only a sadist would enjoy. A large contingent of Water soldiers led by Staff Sergeant Haku were ready to push through as Sakura and some of the engineers used their charges to blow the wire fences. Not all of Sakura's troops were lucky though as one poor engineer had just primed her charge and was ready to throw when a Sound rifleman shot her right through the heart. Her charge dropped in front of her and it exploded as the rest dove for cover, most likely leaving nothing left of the dead girl. It sickeningly reminded me of the terrible fate poor Neji suffered. With the resistance softened our platoon with some of Haku's troops stormed the buildings. Many were barricaded and had to be smashed, blown apart, or kicked down. Naruto, Kuze, Kankuro, and Konohamaru scrambled up with Miyoshi, Ayako, and Mitarashi towards a building with a thin, blue, wooden door. The sergeant signaled Kuze to knock it down and he slammed his foot into to the door to no avail. He cursed out loud and then a second later the rest watched in shock as a flood of screaming bullets tore through the door and into him, spraying blood and God knows what all over as he slumped to the ground. Fucking Soundies must've placed an MG there in case of a breach. Mitarashi became furious as she tossed a grenade in and when the dust flew out of the opening she unloaded her entire magazine and then brandished her Colt pistol while Naruto snapped a few rounds off with his B.A.R. There was no time to grieve for Kuze though as they had rushed in with a few Sand fighters following them. Muzzle flashes lit the darker areas of the house as the same back and forth struggle carried itself in building after building. 2nd squad had assault the neighboring bakery, Sasuke leading the charge and Hinata once again not being where she should be, with Ino and the medics, trading shots with the enemy as she narrowly missed a stream of bullets intended for me and hurled a grenade into one of the windows, doubtless killing some Sound sap in there as Gaara alongside Kiba flooded into the entrance, Sasuke going right afterwards with his girlfriend Sakura in tow. While firing away at the isolated pockets of Sound defenses not completely killed off by my fellow soldiers, the thoughts of her and Naruto entered my mind again.

"_Damn it Hinata! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!? He knows you're brave and he already loves you so stop trying to prove yourself when you don't need to!_"

Glass blew out of windows along with smoke and debris from bullets and grenades. It was as if artillery barrages were going on inside the fucking house the fighting was so loud! A couple signals from some of the buildings meant Fox Company had them with little problem while our platoon still had a few rough patches to iron out judging by the ferocity of the shooting. As much as I despised them I had to give the Soundies some respect for being so stalwart in defense. Five more minutes of back and forth with little for Temari, Hanzo, and I to see, and 2nd Platoon finally emerged the victors.

"Ok 3rd squad you saw the signs let's pack up and move into those buildings!" Sarutobi wasted no time ordering as we grabbed our shit and took off. The pain in my body was subsiding a little but the quick movement wouldn't let it go away. Temari looked almost as roughed up. 4th squad had already garrisoned themselves inside and were laying fire on the next Sound defensive line.

"Nara, Temari, Hanzo, you know the drill! Get up to the top story and fuck them up from the shadows where they can't see ya!"

"Shikamaru! Likin' the party so far buddy?" Naruto asked lightheartedly even if I detected some slight anger in his voice after what happened to Kuze. I just looked at him and shrugged as I ran upstairs past the dead Sound soldiers while Choji followed close behind. We were about to park ourselves in the third floor when a chunk of wood and plaster flew out in front of us.

"Temari get down!" I yelled tackling her and Hanzo followed suit. The familiar bark of an MG42 sprayed the entire area through the windows and even through the wall, bullet whizzing by our heads, the hot air flowing over us. It sprayed a few more times above and then stopped. "We gotta take out that MG pronto. Hanzo get eyes on the position and we'll take care of the rest."

"Can do buddy!" He slowly crawled to a tiny section of blasted wall where he could get a good view but not expose himself too much. Taking Sarutobi's binoculars, he scanned the next row of buildings. "Got my eyes on 'em right now! One o'clock, two hundred meters, second floor, in the red building...there's three of 'em and they're tryin' to shoot up 1st squad! Take 'em out!"

"All right partner," I said to Temari, "let's do what we do best..." I adjusted my scope and crawled with Temari to the best vantage points. We lined up our sights, me aiming for the gunner and Temari at the spotter. Without hesitation Temari pulled the trigger on her Kar98 as the spotter doubled over while the gunner was totally oblivious. Too bad for him as my gently squeezed the trigger on my trusty Springfield and a second later he jerked back with his finger still on the trigger, spraying wildly and hitting two of his own before the MG ran out of bullets and he slumped over. "That'll teach those fuckers to shoot at us eh partner?" I asked Temari who gave me a satisfied grin as the report of her rifle sounded confirming the last of the MG team dead. I looked at Temari in amazement for a second. "_She is more violent than my mother and that somehow oddly attracts me to her._"

"Open range fellas...let's have some fun!" Hanzo cheered as he took his Garand and fired a clip at a group of Sound troopers.

"Panzerschreck!" One of the troopers below screamed as a rocket careened towards our line and into the window of the building next to me. Smoke and dust flew everywhere from the windows followed by a cry for a medic.

"All right guys new targets! Rocket troopers in three buildings...one at ten o'clock, one straight ahead, and one at two o'clock, go nuts!" Hanzo yelled spotting the Panzerschreck-wielding soldiers.

"I'll take the left one while you take right Temari! The center we'll leave for whoever gets there the quickest eh?"

"You're on partner!" Funny how we were turning this into a contest but if it helped then so be it. I swung my rifle on the reloading soldier after she had just blasted a bunch of crates some soldiers and the LT from 1st Platoon were crouching behind. I couldn't help but see the aftermath as two including the LT lay dead while another was bloodied up and crawling desperately back to the houses as a medic grabbed her in time and got her out. The Sound trooper exposed herself just enough for me to get a clean shot. A quick trigger pull and she was dead. That was one down. Temari's rifle cracked without a need for another shot giving the sign that she had hit her mark. Trying to beat the clock I had recharged my rifle and swung on the next Panzerschreck trooper who was about to fire. Our rifles snapped almost simultaneously as he flung back but managed to release his rocket in time...the only real problem was that it was heading towards us...shit.

"Oh fuck get down now!" Hanzo screamed. The rocket had screamed upwards and slammed the tip of the house, sending a shockwave all throughout the third floor while our faces were planted into the wood and debris.

"Everyone ok?" I said muffled by my lips on the dirty wood.

"I'm green!" Hanzo replied.

"Good to go partner!" Temari replied. We looked around and laughed at the sheer craziness of first our contest to kill the third rocket soldier only to get him both at the same time and then his very rocket nearly hitting us. Call it sick if you wanted to, but we some odd humor in all of it. We crawled back to our original positions and spend a few more minutes playing shadow assassins while Hanzo pointed us to our next kills.

He laughed some more as he peered through the binoculars. "Jesus H. Christ...talk about a close one! I mean you think you're all right and then some shit like that comes real close eh?"

"I know..." I pulled the trigger hitting a Soundie in the midsection, "exactly what you mean there buddy."

"Yeah seriously, I mean it's like shit like that comes when you least...oh shit..." Hanzo's jaw clenched, "sni..." and right in front of us one of the binocular lenses smashed and he fell limp to the floor, an exit wound seen outside of his head.

"Oh fucking hell!" Temari yelled as we hugged the walls, panic covering her dirty and bloody face. "Where the hell did that come from?"

"SNIPER!" I screamed downstairs. "Sergeant, we got a sniper and Hanzo's down!"

"Fuck! Everyone get down we've got a sniper on our hands!" The second he said that Choji yelped in pain.

"Ah fuck they got me! My arm...God they shot me in the arm!"

"You'll be all right Akimichi...Toyama get Yamanaka on the double! Shit on a shingle..."

"_Yeah you're not kidding sergeant...shit on a shingle indeed._"

Taking the advantage of my best friend being targeted but surviving, thank God, I got a quick sight of the snipers they decided to counter us with. One was a woman with pink-reddish hair with a sinister look on her face, a black Sound note marking on her neck while the other had a hairstyle similar to mine and looked just as evil. One of those pricks killed my good buddy and it was time to settle the score.

"So they think they can outdo us eh Temari?" I said to her while a couple of bullets smacked the back of the wall. "Shit they must've caught on to us. We gotta relocate!"

"Coulda told ya that myself Shikamaru!"

We crawled our way down the stairs to see Choji still yelling in pain. The shot on his arm was bad news but he'll survive with Ino taking care of him. Sarutobi and Toyama were taking potshots sticking only their guns out the windows.

"Got a real shit-storm with those snipers Nara!" Sarutobi yelled to me. "Get over to another vantage point and try an' take those fuckers out! If they get us pinned we're screwed!"

"We'll try sergeant..." It was all I could mutter as we did a roadie run out the building and into the one 1st and 2nd squads occupied. Outside another soldier fell to those two as he collapsed onto a bench. Sasuke was the first to greet us ever so eloquently as we barged in.

"Nara? What are you and the Sand sniper doing here?"

"We got trouble...Soundies got snipers in the buildings now and our position was compromised. We're relocating to try and take them out."

"Well for fuck's sake get the hell away from my guys then! I don't want anyone getting pasted being next to you two!"

"Thanks for the support Sasuke!" I yelled to him over the whizzing bullets and explosions. Slowly and carefully we slinked our way up. In front of us a Water soldier fell on his back from what we suspected to be the snipers but he was still alive miraculously, albeit bleeding badly. Hinata rushed over and dragged him to a safe spot to treat him. We had to hurry. The longer we took killing them the more of our comrades and even dear friends could die. Gaara was up on the top floor as if he was waiting for us. It was a dilapidated floor with an almost blown out roof.

"Gaara!" Temari yelled. "Get to a safe spot while we deal with the snipers!"

"No...I want to help you."

"You can't Gaara! Your gun can't reach them and you don't know where they are! Please get outta here." He wouldn't budge. "God damn it Gaara you're more useful downstairs so move it!" He still wouldn't move as he fired a few shots from his weapon.

"Temari it's ok. If he wants to stay let him stay." I said. I was thinking of an idea but it wasn't the nicest one. "Hey Gaara, how fast are you?"

Temari looked at me suspiciously. "What're you implying Shikamaru?"

"You need me as a runner decoy Shikamaru?" He asked in a low, dry tone.

"No. No fucking way Shikamaru! He will not be any runner on my watch!" Temari was more than resistant. "I'm not having my little brother play decoy to those evil pricks!"

"Temari! I said I wanted to help and if I'm only good as a decoy then so be it!" Gaara yelled in defiance. Temari was surprised at his backtalk but gritted her teeth admitting her powerlessness in trying to order her brother around.

"Ok fine! Shikamaru you better have a good fucking idea or so help me God..."

"We don't have much for good ideas Temari so work with me! Gaara, we're going to try and get a bead on them while drawing their fire on someone else. We need you to distract them so we can nail them. They're two buildings to the right of us so hopefully they'll notice you, no offense."

"None taken." replied Gaara. I turned to Temari who was more than pissed for putting her little brother in danger but also because there was nothing else she could do.

"First we need to confirm their location..." I quickly checked my scope to see the muzzles of their rifles but I couldn't get a shot. They were still there. "Ok Gaara, place a few shots at them to grab their attention and then run down the room and draw their fire...good luck."

He nodded in reply. A few seconds later he fired away with his STG44 and was greeted with a grazing bullet that tore through the cloth on his arm but he was still ok.

"RUN GAARA!" Temari screamed and with that he tore ass across the room so that everyone could see, diving into the side of the wall for cover. Meanwhile we stood up from our prone positions and took aim. The sniper with the dark hair similar to mine had just shot an assaulting Leaf soldier and must've noticed the gleam of my scope from the sun. His look turned from glee to shock as I bet he saw my grin as I pulled the trigger and hit the son of a bitch in between the eyes as he jerked his head back and fell over.

"I got him! Motherfucker I got his ass!"

"Great shooting partner and great decoy work Gaara! You gave me a fucking heart attack though..." Temari congratulated me.

"Yeah now for the other...sniper...where'd she go?" I scanned all around to see that evil smirk facing me as her rifle was aimed right at me. "Oh shit!" I got down and not a moment too soon as her shot came whirring right over my head. "Fuck this one's got talent!"

"Yeah no kidding!" said Temari in agreement. "How're we gonna get this bitch?" Another bullet hit the lip of what was the windowsill. This woman was toying with us. She knew we were up here now and she would focus on no one else but us. Her partner was a little dumber and took the bait which is why he's dead but no, this one knew the score. I crawled towards the stairs to see Shino and Kiba crouched down while their machine gunner, Private Toshi lay dead on the ground, a single shot being enough evidence on who shot him.

"Fuck that bitch sniper must've gotten to you too!"

"We happen to share the same predicament Shikamaru. I suggest you do something about it!"

"That's what I'm here for ya smartass bookworm! Ya got any ideas yourself? You're the academy graduate!"

"Well getting free from sniper fire was never one of my courses so if you think my education somehow makes me adept at this you're quite mistaken." He blabbed as more bullets pounded the windows and walls of the building.

"I don't give a flying fuck if you're adept at interpretive dance! I need your help and possibly Kiba's!"

"Well then Corporal Nara, tell us what you have in mind..."

"This Sound broad has got a good aim and will not hesitate to drop anyone too stupid to expose themselves for too long. We need to play a little mind game with her. We gotta keep her on her toes and guessing where Temari and I will show up next from these windows."

"Hmmmm...a game of deception eh? I like it!" A rare smile emerged from his face.

"I dunno what the fuck you two eggheads are talkin' about but I suggest we do something post haste!" Kiba snarled in between our conversation.

"Kiba, go upstairs and start taking shots outside at the second floor of a building in between our one o'clock and two o'clock. We're gonna try and fake out this sniper."

"If I get shot and live through this Shikamaru you're a dead man..." he grumbled as he crawled his way up. About a minute later he screamed. "FIRING!" Eight shots rang out of his Garand only to be answered by a single bullet smacking the top of the window.

"TEMARI NOW!" I yelled as she took aim and fired, but cursed afterwards.

"Damn it I missed her! Try it again!"

"Shino...do it." Shino nodded and swung his rifle out the window and cracked some more shots at her position. Some more fire greeted him as he ducked for cover, giving me the time to line up my shot but where she was before she had disappeared. "_Fuck...where is she now?!?_" My mind raced with thought as I scanned the area catching a glimpse of her on the third floor. I fired at the small section of her head and missed. "Son of a bitch! Temari down here with me!" She turned and crawled down to my level. We tried doing the same trick again but once again narrowly missed her.

"Need some assistance gentlemen?" Tenten asked sneaking up on us.

"If you're confident enough with that Bazooka to hit your mark and not get nailed then go for it. I'll move up with you to the third floor while Kiba moves back down here. Get your shot in either the second or third floor and smoke her ass out!" She nodded and we slunk our way up the stairs while the rest of the platoon still slugged it out with the enemy. Sure she was alone but she was damn near my equivalent this Sound sniper. "You see that building? I need one shot at it and that should send her packing!"

"No problem...cover me!" She said to me and Gaara as we poured some rounds in that general area. "FIRING!" The rocket spewed smoke everywhere as she dropped to the ground immediately. I poked my head out the window slightly to see she had gotten it in the third floor and the sniper was on the run. The plan worked and now she was ours!

"Temari she's making a break for it! Hit her now!"

Temari's rifle cracked as I watched the woman fall to the ground. A huge grin went from ear to ear. "Wonderful shot Temari I mean great...shit she's still moving!" She had been hit in the left shoulder but was still able to run.

"Fuck I thought I killed her!" she yelled.

I took aim at the wounded woman but the second I pulled the trigger a sharp pain dug straight into my shoulder. My shot missed her by about two feet. "_God damn it I never miss! I will not fail! She killed my buddies and I won't fail killing her!_" Again and again I took the best shots I could in addition to Temari's but to no avail. She disappeared as I ran out of ammo.

"FUCK! WE MISSED HER! FUCKING DAMN IT!" I screamed in utter frustration. I could hear Temari joining me in the cursing. I never missed unless I meant to and missing that woman could only spell trouble.

"She'll be dead another way Shikamaru so stop bitching! We still gotta take this place!" Kiba barked at me.

The Sound line had weakened so much we had overrun them without their MG support and their snipers. The _Death Seal_ and _Falling Leaves_ had finally linked up with our platoon as we occupied the next set of houses a half-hour later. Temari and I were still good and sore from

"Sorry to keep you guys waiting but we hit a little snag along another road. A couple Ostwinds felt like giving us grief but they paid for it all right!" The commander of the _Falling Leaves_ explained over the radio.

"That's nice to know but now we need you to clear those streets to the west. We'll assist you." Captain Hatake said in reply.

"All right Ebisu let's roll. Be mindful of the PAK 38s!"

"They won't be an issue." He replied as he rolled along with the _Falling Leaves_ crushing the sandbags and barbed wire laid out by the Soundies. "Gun in sight...firing." The Sherman blasted a crew repositioning one of the PAK 38 guns before they even had a chance to line up. "These pathetic Sound worms are no match for us!" It continued to roll along in front of his pal until they reached the western courtyard.

"Panzer at your three o'clock!" Sergeant Yamato screamed through the radio to the tankers.

"Aoba I'll flank him while you fire head on ok?" The _Death Seal_ commander said.

"Sounds good to me. Get moving then Ebisu." The Panzer took its first shot and missed the _Falling Leaves_ wide to the left but nearly hit a small section of 4th Platoon, causing them to scatter into cover. The _Death Seal_ took off to the left while the _Falling Leaves_ stayed in place. The stationary Sherman returned fire and hit the Panzer but not enough to stop it. The Panzer responded in kind and smacked the _Falling Leaves_ in the tracks causing some good damage and immobilizing it.

"C'mon Ebisu where are you?" The tank commander asked frantically.

"I'm almost there...almost there...fire!" A shot careened out one of the alleys and smacked the Panzer in the side armor severely weakening the beast. "Finish the creep off Aoba!" The _Falling Leaves_ took the next shot while a Water soldier fired his PIAT right at the tank as well. The Panzer blew into pieces as we cheered. "Good it's dead. I'll be coming around now...wait...oh shit! 88s! 88s!" A loud boom emerged from where the _Death Seal_ had gone followed by an awful sound of tearing metal. "I need assistance now! 88mm! Fuckers came outta nowhere! Drive God damn it or we're dead! I need assist..." The radio went silent as another boom echoed near the courtyard followed by the sound of explosions and twisting metal.

"Ebisu? EBISU? FUCK! Sir, Ebisu's down! We got 88mm cannons over by the western courtyard! Request immediate assistance!" The _Falling Leaves_ commander screamed to Captain Umino.

"Shit...fucking 88mm guns! We're stuck here fighting off Panther tanks Aoba. Fox and Lima Companies are your only hope. Hey Kakashi...a carton of smokes to the guys who put the kibosh on those guns, over!"

"You heard Captain Umino 2nd Platoon! Let's get those guns before anyone else can!" Great...figures 2LT Lee's zeal doesn't leave him even if we're up against those dreaded 88mm guns. We scrambled over while 1st and 3rd Platoons went on the defensive near the _Falling Leaves_. 4th Platoon was right behind us as we flowed through the streets and alleys to see the smoldering wreck of the _Death Seal_. Across the way the 88mm gun crews were already adjusting their aim on us which brought my heart to my throat.

"Displace!" Sasuke screamed as we heard the Soundies scream a command before one of their damn concealed guns fired right into a wall, obliterating half of it. Another shot sent a Water trooper and one of 4th Platoon's flying into the windows of a cafe. I doubted they survived that impact but then again Naruto did. Sasuke led the charge with 2nd squad but got stopped as an MG42 in the window forced them to hunker down. Once again getting unnecessarily bold, Hinata waited for the MG to stop and then tried following Naruto who was attempting a flanking maneuver with the rest of 4th squad, throwing a grenade at the Soundies while killing one quickly with her rifle.

"NARUTO! I'm coming to help you!" She yelled to him as he turned, rather surprised by her actions.

"Hinata get back here! What are you doing?" Sasuke barked but got no reply. "Shino go after her!"

"HINATA! Get back with your squad Hinata! They'll be fine so don't AHHHHH!" Shino yelled as he was struck down by a rifleman. She turned to see him on the ground and scrambled to pull him to cover only to be struck in the leg and in the hip by another Soundie as she fell to the ground, blood staining her uniform terribly. She screamed as loud as her normally meek voice could go as I looked on painfully. Naruto turned again to see her crawling desperately behind something as Shino also struggled to get up on the cover he was behind. I thought he might've died but he was only hit in the side.

"HINATA!" Naruto bellowed at the top of his lungs as he abandoned all regard for personal safety to run to her aid. I did what I could taking shots at the enemy while an 88 targeted Naruto and Hinata to my horror.

"Temari! Get that crew on the far left now!" Despite the massive pain we were suffering we stopped the gunner from firing on the two in time. Another 88mm fired but missed the two as Naruto was also knocked to the ground from the shockwave but not letting go of Hinata. All around us our platoons along with the Sand and Water fighters were desperately trying to break through.

"It's ok Hinata. I've got you..." Naruto said holding her against what cover they could hide behind.

"N-N-Naruto...I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry." She whimpered to him with tears in her eyes as blood ran from her lips. "I w-w-wanted to he-help you and be brave to pr-prove myself to y-you. I'm sorry. Please f-forgive me for getting myself hurt." She shook from her injury as 2nd squad's medic rushed to try and stop the bleeding, Naruto still holding her tight and doing what he could to help as well.

"Hinata...you were already brave in my eyes. I'm sorry I never told you...forgive me. I love you, so stay with me Hinata stay with me God damn it!" He yelled while pressing a bandage down on her hip.

"N-Naruto..."

A smoke grenade went off in front of the 88s as 4th squad minus Naruto attempted their flanking action.

"2nd squad! Flank these fuckers from the right! We'll get them all right!"

"Nara, Toyama and Temari! Cover 2nd squad's advance with your fires now!" Normally we'd ask Choji to help but Ino had stayed with him to treat his wound and with him in that shape he was no good to us.

Temari, Toyama with Choji's weapon, and I opened up on the windows and at the crews as best we could while we could hear Sergeant Mitarashi and Sasuke open up on the Soundies as well. Kankuro knelt down with his Panzerschreck and fired at one of the four cannons. He certainly made up for missing the Wirblewind as his rocket slammed into the 88mm on the far right and sent shards of metal everywhere ruining the gun. Gaara primed two of his grenades from his belt and hurled them at another gun crew. They panicked and tried to flee but two were launched into the air while two others were gunned down by Kiba. Matsuri and a small squad of Sand fighters threw some more grenades at the gun crews killing three more of them. Within a few minutes the cannons were silences but at the cost of more than ten more soldiers. A rumbling was heard in the distance after we had cleared the area and suddenly two Panzers crashed through the walls ahead of us, catching us off guard. Their MG slits sprayed in every direction felling a man next to Corporal Inari.

"You fecking arsehole I'll kill the lot of ya!" He roared in defiance to the tanks. A couple of PIAT rounds streaked towards one of the Panzers, one scoring a direct hit and immobilizing it. Tenten had also fired a round and blew the treads off of the same one but it still fired at us, destroying one of the 88s we were trying to commandeer. Sai hurled one of his spare satchel charges and five seconds later it exploded wildly causing the tank to lurch over and cease firing. Sakura ran over and sprayed her weapon into the MG slits to ensure no one survived. She booked it back behind a wall before the nearby Panzer fired and hit the wall she dove behind.

"SAKURA!" Sasuke screamed wide-eyed from the possibility of his girlfriend being blown apart. A faint scream was heard over the commotion.

"I'm...I'm ok baby! Just a little shook up and my head is throbbing! Do me a favor and kill that asshole and I'll reward ya later!"

I turned to see Kiba, Gaara, Matsuri, Mitarashi, Ayako, Moegi, and a couple others turning one of the guns towards the Panzer which was turning its cannon on them. It was down to the wire as the round was loaded in the 88 and Gaara had his hands on the firing mechanism.

"DO IT GAARA!" Temari screamed. Before the Panzer could get a shot off the 88mm boomed and its payload slammed right into the front of the Panzer as the tank spewed hot shrapnel and fire everywhere. We roared in celebration as the two trespassing tanks burned in revenge for destroying the _Death Seal_.

"Who made that shot?" First Sergeant Guy asked.

"First Sergeant it was the Sand kid Gaara!" Sasuke replied.

"Fucking beautiful job there kiddo! We'll have to tell Captain Umino about that!"

"Sir, this is 2LT Ishida. Sound infantry is bugging out! The _Falling Leaves_ is ok and we've sustained minimal casualties. What are your orders?" The man said over the captain's radio.

"Hold these positions until otherwise noted. I'll inform Captain Umino that the western flank is secure. Fox Company...our work is done here so let the rest of them clean up the mess!" His order was greeted by more cheers as several Air Corps fighters flew overhead and the dust clouds of Able and Baker Companies were seen in the distance.

"Damn fine work there Kakashi. Once again I'm honoured to have fought beside you." Captain Momochi said shaking his hand while shaking in pain.

"Likewise Zabuza. I say when this is over I'll buy you and your boys a round of beers."

"Oh no my good man...I'll buy you a stout first back home in the Water Nation." He replied happily.

"Job well done partner..." I said to Temari while trying to catch my breath leaning up against a slab of blasted out concrete. "Jesus it's over..."

"Yeah...I know..." she replied while reaching over and kissing me gently.

We had regrouped by the _Falling Leaves_ and about another two hours later we heard the word from Captain Hatake that the last group of Soundies had been destroyed and/or given up. He said Takigakure was finally ours and we roared in celebration. More planes flew overhead as some of Able Company's tanks including the _Shinobi's Pride_ reached our positions, Captain Umino popped out of his hatch. "So who's the lucky guy that got the carton of smokes?" Kiba pointed to Gaara who was sitting down with Matsuri. "Hey kid! Here ya go!" He tossed the cigarettes to him only to be intercepted by Kankuro. Some shouts of protests emerged but Kankuro tried to explain himself.

"Hey c'mon guys he's only a kid! Besides...how about we share them with everyone eh?" His suggestion changed the mood from disgust to praise as he tossed packs around, Sasuke being the first to grab one.

The battalion medical groups had arrived to perform triage, taking guys like Shino, Choji, and even Hinata away. Naruto walked alongside Hinata as she lay in the stretcher. Sasuke walked up to her.

"You have a lot of fucking explaining to do Hyuga! You nearly got yourself killed along with Corporal Aburame due to your stupid recklessness!"

"Hey Sasuke lay off her ok? She's already hurt!" Naruto snapped at him.

"Stay outta this Uzumaki it's none of your business!"

"The hell it ain't my business! Don't talk to my Hinata like that!" He said as he got in Sasuke's face.

"Don't get testy with me private! Know your fucking role!"

"What was that you asshole?" Naruto attempted to attack Sasuke but Mitarashi stopped him in time and Sakura pulled Sasuke back.

"Hey Sasuke! Cut that shit out! The poor girl paid for her mistakes already so don't make it five times worse ok?"

He grumbled something incoherent as Hinata was carried away into the triage center, Naruto following her like a puppy. God I hoped they'd be ok. "_Hinata...you tried too hard and risked life and limb to try and prove something and now this happened...God Almighty._" It wasn't a time for personal reflection though as the jubilant mood of the company alongside the Sand and Water fighters swept the area. People were hugging, kissing, shaking hands, singing, and all this after one of the bloodiest battles I've ever witness, the Battle of Takigakure. We lost even more good people here like Kuze and Hanzo, but I always assured myself their deaths weren't completely in vain. 2nd Platoon was celebrating with the rest near the second set of buildings we had previously captured. We survived and won the day. It was truly something to be happy about.

"Hey guys check out what I found in one of the buildings!" Ayako screamed while holding some intact wine bottles. People turned and cheered some more.

"Gimme that!" Sasuke snorted while snatching one of them away and biting the cork off. After a fierce swig he handed the bottle to Sakura who had her arm wrapped around him and took an even mightier swig of the wine. "Hey who else wants to liberate this wine eh?"

"I'm gonna assume that's grape juice sergeant..." 2LT Lee muttered.

"Oh of course it is sir!" He replied and then turned to Sakura, "Though it's been aged about five years!" He chuckled and kissed her right on the lips.

"Proper good job mates!" Haku praised. "Hey Corporal Inari, you Wave boys still got the pipes and fiddle?"

"Sure as sure we do Staff! Hey Omuri, bring out the pipes from our kits!" A few minutes later a strange contraption came out of one of the boxes that looked like a bag of air with rods coming out of it. The Wave soldier then pulled out a tinier violin-like instrument with a bow.

"I got 'em right here Inari and in fine good shape too!"

"Great! Now we can have some fun!" His partner grabbed the strange object and blew into one of the holes while his fingers hit the holes on the others. It made some weird but somewhat melodic tunes.

"What is that?" Kiba asked.

"Those are the bagpipes boyo. Finest set of pipes the Wave Nation's got I'll tell ya that! So...who wants to dance?" He grabbed Private Miyoshi and pranced around with her and strangely enough she enjoyed it. Soon everyone else followed his example and picked partners to dance with, some obvious like Sasuke and Sakura or Gaara and Matsuri. A couple of the Wave soldiers were enjoying themselves doing an interesting step-dance routine that involved some real fancy footwork. An open-palmed hand reached out to me.

"Hey partner, ya care to dance?"

"Meh dancing is too troublesome...no thanks."

"I don't take no for an answer too well Shikamaru so c'mon!" She yanked me up and soon enough we were holding hands and twirling about to the fiddle and these bagpipes. Sure the music sounded foreign but it was lively and upbeat. Soon a couple of the Water soldiers began singing and then a couple Leaf soldiers joined in. I was actually smiling dancing with Temari. It was one of the few moments we had when death wasn't around the corner and we could be somewhat at peace. In my daydreaming I lost my footing and tumbled down with Temari. A raucous laughter surrounded us but we took it in stride. For a moment when I was dancing and enjoying myself, a twinge of thinking entered.

"_What about that sniper? Did she die? Did she surrender? Whatever Shikamaru...the battle's over. We won and you didn't fail so start celebrating!_" I put my fears to rest for a moment and put my arm around Temari. I took a nice swig of wine, the fermented grape taste soothing to my palate. Temari yanked it from me and did the same before she reached in and locked lips with me, everyone around me cheering me on. "_Schmucks...oh well...might as well party it up eh?_" The dancing subsided fifteen minutes later.

"Hey Gaara, have some of this wine you deserved it my good man! Fucking awesome job killing that tank!" Sasuke said as he eagerly gave him a wine bottle. Gaara took an innocent swig from it and grimaced from the slightly bitter taste. You couldn't blame him since it was probably his first time with alcohol. The men and women cheered as Matsuri kissed him on the cheek. Temari gave him a kiss on the forehead and Kankuro gave him a big brotherly hug. I myself shook his hand and patted him on the shoulder but like a clumsy oaf I dropped my wine bottle.

"Oh shit! I'm sorry here lemme pick that up!" I bent down and then heard a sharp crack and then a bottle break. The crowd went deathly silent for a second as Gaara just held his broken bottle by the neck and I stared in horror as deep crimson was spreading on his outfit from his stomach. Gaara tried to open his mouth to say something but just fell over. Kankuro screamed in shock.

"SNIPER! OVER THERE!" Sergeant Morino yelled pointing to a two-story wooden house. "Perforate the fucker!" Soon about twenty guns cut holes through the house like a hot knife through butter.

"Cease fire! Cease fire!" Lee ordered seeing no one else shooting as us. "Get this place secured! 4th squad get in that building and find that Soundie now!" Sergeant Mitarashi scrambled with Ayako, Miyoshi and Konohamaru to clear the building.

"GAARA! Oh shit Gaara no!" Kankuro yelled again. "MEDIC! GET A FUCKING MEDIC HERE NOW!"

Ino ran over on the double and tore off his clothing. It was a nasty wound that wouldn't stop bleeding. Everyone was flooding around us but Sarutobi and Sasuke were trying to keep everyone back to give Ino room.

"Oh God no please no not Gaara please!" Matsuri wailed.

"You're gonna be all right Gaara. You're gonna be just fine!" Temari said trying to assure the shaking child. "Oh God..."

"T-Temari...K-K-Kankuro...I'm sor-sorry..."

"No it's ok Gaara. Your siblings are here Gaara and you're gonna be ok." Kankuro said as he rested Gaara's head on his legs.

"Ino..." I whispered to her. She looked at me shaking with stress and shook her head slightly. "_Fuck..._" I thought to myself. I knew that look all too well. She then took a small yellow object with a needle and plunged it into his leg...it was morphine. He shook violently as blood was coming up from his mouth.

"I-I-I'm sorry...I'm sorry...Matsuri."

"No please don't say that Gaara please!"

"M-mother...I want to...I want to g-go...home..."

"Gaara please no!" Kankuro pleaded.

"F-Forgive m-me...oh God...it hurts! It hurts ahhhhh!" His screams were agonizing. "F-f-forgive me..." He jerked around a little more and then...he stopped. He was dead. Temari's baby brother was dead.

"NO! No no no no no! C'mon Gaara! Say something! SAY SOMETHING!" Temari screamed.

"GAARA!" Matsuri sobbed in sheer agony. They were all crying feverishly as the rest of the Sand fighters were shedding tears as well. One of the Kazekage's own had just died. I couldn't bear to watch it anymore as my rage built up inside me. I had to find out who did this. I sprinted towards the house that 4th squad had raided and ran up to the second floor.

"Where is that Sound motherfucker?!?" I demanded. Sergeant Mitarashi pointed to a woman lying all mangled up. I took a closer look and froze in terror...it was her. It was that pink-red haired woman we had failed to kill and I bet she was aiming for me! "Oh my God...oh God no! Not her!"

"What are you talking about Nara?" Ayako inquired.

"FUCK! GOD DAMN IT FUCKING GOD DAMN IT!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. Temari had stormed up as well.

"Where is he? Where is the murderer of my baby brother?!?" She yelled.

"Temari stay back...you don't wanna see it!" I tried to stop her.

"NO! I WANNA SEE THAT COWARD!" She pushed me aside with all her might and then just stopped, her lips trembling. A few seconds later she screamed in such a tone that I pray I'll never hear again. "NOOOOOO! NO NO NO! YOU I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" She screamed as she drew her Luger out and emptied her rounds into the woman's corpse. "YOU MURDERER! YOU KILLED MY BABY BROTHER!"

"TEMARI!" I yelled as she continued to pull the trigger of her pistol only getting clicks in reply. She scrambled to the dead woman but Sergeant Mitarashi and I restrained her.

"He's dead Shikamaru! My baby brother is dead! It's all our faults! It's all our faults Shikamaru!" She sobbed uncontrollably as she knelt up, wailing for the loss of her brother. I wrapped my arms around her and cried with her. Gaara was not my family but he was close enough.

"Temari...I'm so sorry..." I said while grieving with her.

That bullet was intended for me and he paid the price. We had failed to kill that woman before and because of that Gaara was dead. We had failed our duty to kill the enemy and protect our loved ones.

We had failed...


	19. Chapter 19

The funeral for Gaara was more painful than any wound one could suffer. A bullet or a piece of shrapnel going in you is a quick, sharp, and even burning pain that can be treated by a medic or doctor, but something like this had a hurt that was deeper in not just the heart but the mind as well. Like Udon before him he was another young kid cut down before he could enjoy more of what life had to offer. So many of us weren't even there to see him and the rest of our men and women buried in a grassy knoll outside of the city. Matsuri and Temari were still beside themselves while Kankuro had held his composure a little better, but even with stoic reserve the men and women of the Sand wept for the youngest son of the Kazekage. Kankuro spoke a few words in a eulogy for Gaara and praised his bravery for such a young kid but then succumbed to his grief and broke down. Luckily Tenten was there to comfort him as she had felt near the same pain with Neji's death. He was buried with his white armband on top, one of Kankuro's puppets, a picture of him and Matsuri as kids, and other personal items. Inari's bagpipes carried themselves through the air as he played a traditional funeral song that they'd play back in his home country, the melancholy tune bringing tears to everyone's eyes including one from my own. We spent a couple days clearing things up while awaiting transport back to wherever the brass wanted us. Captain Momochi and his airborne troopers finally linked up with the rest of the scattered units. He told his commanders of our assistance and how they'd have died without it which despite the tragedy surrounding us gave Fox Company a small boost of pride. It was about the only smidgen of pride we'd feel after all this. Lima Company of the Water Nation left us with their thanks and eternal respect, Captain Momochi and Captain Hatake established what could be a great friendship, and though the mood was somber men like Haku and Inari were more than hopeful we'd see each other again. The planes to transport us back arrived on the third day and not a moment too soon. The Air Corps flyers that saw us load murmured that we looked like the living dead, ragged and depleted of life.

Almost two months had passed since the Battle of Takigakure. Estimates showed that overall Konoha suffered more than a thousand deaths and twice as many wounded during the whole campaign, the Water Airborne losing around thirty percent of its numbers, and the Soundies had casualties about threefold from ours. Fox Company had been whittled down to less than fifty percent its original strength since our incursion into the Waterfall Nation so the brass declared us combat ineffective and sent us to the rear, back into Konoha, for supply and reinforcement which they said could take almost another month to process. Fucking tops had little clue as to what we suffered through. The newspapers hailed us for our heroism and for exposing the inhumanity of the Sound when we liberated that labor camp, but personally I felt little glory. Our arrival home felt more like walking through a funeral procession even if there were cheers and shouts of praise from Leaf citizens all around. News reporters would swarm us with bulbs flashing and a flood of questions. I pitied the captain and Lee more than I did the grunts. The officers had to be cordial about answering questions while on the contrary we had a person like Naruto who punched one out for bothering him with twenty questions while he was taking care of Hinata who was still badly hurt. What was even more offending was the way they treated the Sand fighters who looked at like some of them were from another planet. The soldiers appreciated and respected the Sand people while it seemed our media was less than sensitive given the Sand Nation's dealings with the Sound enemy. Temari and I had been tactful enough to slink away when we had first landed to avoid all the attention but given the circumstances attention was the last thing we wanted. Our relationship had been somewhat strained from that awful day in Takigakure. We were still convinced that Gaara's death was due to our own failures of duty, even if we tried as best we could. There wasn't a feeling of animosity or of suspicion towards me or Temari, but more a heavy cloud of guilt over our heads. The romantic feelings towards each other still existed but we couldn't get Gaara out of our heads. We occasionally shared the same bed but the last time we had any sexual relations was before Takigakure. We didn't fall into disdain of each other no, to say that would be asinine. In fact we needed each other now more than ever. Sure we would try to find ways to ease the stress and ease the tension but the same moments kept replaying in our heads. As much as we tried to rationalize what transpired to not make us bear any guilt there was no shaking it. Temari had her twenty-third birthday in August and mine was just a few days ago. The surviving members of 3rd squad, Kankuro, and a couple of my pals tried to cheer us up by having a little get-together and we put our game faces on, but we truly felt like they were oblivious to our mental malaise. Hell I think the only other person that could remotely feel similar to us was Naruto. Though he physically did nothing wrong, I was sure his head was swimming in thoughts of concern and guilt over Hinata. Turns out she was wounded worse than we had seen and it was a miracle she was able to be treated as quickly as she was. She had sustained damage in her hip, one of her kidneys had tears, and her left thigh sustained muscle damage and nearly hit her femoral artery. We heard that had she not been extracted sooner she would've died in hours. When we heard about how nearly she came close to death Naruto nearly broke down. Naruto had always had his fits or anger spouts, but to see him in so worked up and so depressed was alien to Choji and I. He spent less and less time with us as Hinata's condition wavered throughout the time we were back. It sucked...it really did.

I remembered when we all went through basic training and how excited many of us, barring myself of course, were to be moving to the frontlines and finally getting a piece of the Sound. Hmm, how naive of us eh? What was youthful exuberance and ambition to fight for Konoha had turned into fatigue and worry. We began to feel that either Takigakure or the Waterfall Nation itself was cursed, the very place ringing the death knell for our company. Though lauded for his command abilities by Colonel Jiraiya for his efforts in the camp raid and Hill #404, even Captain Hatake felt like he let his soldiers down by having so many of them die. Perhaps that Water commander Captain Momochi was right. Perhaps there is a true burden of leadership and it can solely lie on people like Captain Hatake or First Sergeant Guy. I didn't see much of them since they were most likely dealing with most of the logistical bullshit so that regular guys like me and Choji didn't have to. Come to think of it I saw very little of 2LT Lee and Sergeant Yamato as well barring chow time, first formation, the occasional briefing, and then dismissal. Either they were too busy planning or whatever the leadership did or they just didn't feel like doing much in recovery time. We were usually left to our own devices, the squad leadership doing the occasional training or lecture or if they were plum dry of those things they'd just shoot the shit with us.

It was another lazy Sunday, around 11AM. We had no duties to attend to and so taking advantage of that we just slept until around nine or ten o'clock. Half the guys like Kiba were still asleep and the rest were elsewhere. Temari and the rest of the women were in a separate barracks so I had no idea what they were doing. The dim overhead lights glowed across the barracks hall as I stared up into them. I threw my uniform on quickly as I got out of bed barring my uniform blouse which already had my corporal chevrons ever so neatly sewn on since Takigakure. I laced up my boots and with a whole lotta effort slinked my way across the hall without waking the rest up who were snoring peacefully without a care in the world. "_Shit...and they call __me__ lazy!_"

I had found Choji snacking on some vittles he must've scored off an unlucky private or a smuggling soldier and knowing him he must've gorged during breakfast chow as well. He was by himself minding his own business.

"Well I guess you can take the man out of the chow hall but you can't take the chow hall out of the man eh good buddy?" I said behind him causing a brief startle. "Where did ya and how did ya get these treats?"

"Ancient Akimichi secret..." He tried to explain in a muffled tone with the chips all in his mouth.

"Bullshit. Hey how's your arm doing? Wait why am I asking that? If you can wolf down three courses in one hour like I know you can you're doing fine."

He snorted. "Oh Shikamaru, always the one on everyone's case..." He gulped down the rest of the snack.

We laughed for a few seconds. I parked my rear right next to him underneath one of the trees about a hundred meters away from the barracks. "I'm surprised you're not passed out like Kiba or Ayako." I said breaking the silence.

"Those lazy bastards? Yeah give them a warm bed and a roof over their heads and they'll make your laziness look like a joke."

"Flattery will get you nowhere Choji."

"Speaking of deep sleepers, how's our little guy Naruto doing?"

"I think he's getting a little better, but there's an emphasis on little. Spends a lot of time with Hinata over by the triage and hospital areas. That whole bit about her wounds being worse than expected really shook him up something fierce."

"Damn. I seem to recall the opposite thing happening oh but a few months ago."

He snickered but in a sad, bitter way. "Yeah..."

"Yeah. So...catch up much with Ino?"

"Yes and no. I mean for squad and platoon related stuff we've worked together and you've seen that."

"Well duh..."

"But as for personal time...I dunno."

"You still haven't mustered up that courage to try and talk to her again huh? Choji...c'mon man! Sure she's annoying, troublesome, and occasionally bitchy but you gotta man up sooner or later! What happened to the Choji who'd ask fifty times a year?"

"C'mon Shikamaru! Don't make me look like a God damned coward! I'm gonna go for Ino again...I mean do ya think my chances are better this time?"

I took a second to ponder how to respond. Usually I'd be cynical Shikamaru and explain how he didn't have a snowball's chance in hell. But now given what's going on and Ino's surprisingly nicer treatment towards my best friend, my typical advice was becoming slightly invalid.

"Ya remember what that Wave guy Inari said?" He nodded. "Well I think he's got it pretty pegged. Just keep on tryin' Choji. Sure now's definitely not the right time to be asking to go steady but see what you can do to butter her up. Ask if she needs assistance again or some other bullshit like that to score some brownie points with her."

He looked at me with a slightly agitated frown. "Hmm ya don't think she'll be wise to my scheme oh wise one?"

I rolled my eyes. "C'mon Choji...Ino isn't that perceptive. I mean remember when we were teenagers and she was a slave to fashion and self-consciousness? She's seems bitchy and like a kid sometimes."

"Yeah that and she's still a slave to Sasuke."

"Well that's just delusion. To be truthful and slightly chauvinistic which I hope doesn't offend you I think every woman has that. She's just pissed Sasuke's with Sakura and not her, it's the sting of jealousy my friend."

"Yeah...well I guess I'll keep trying since there's no harm in it right?"

"That's the spirit buddy!"

"Well speaking of ladies, how about you and Temari?" His inquiry made me drop my smile and I stared down at the ground. "Hey Shikamaru? Somethin' wrong? I've been asking about you and Temari for weeks and you keep blowing me off with a tangent. Seriously...what the hell is eatin' ya?"

"Choji...there's something I'm going to tell you that I haven't told anyone else and the only reason why is because your my best friend. You weren't around when Temari's brother Gaara died but I know you were told what happened."

"Yeah, some Sound whore managed to elude us and kill him before she died herself."

"Well that is correct, but what you don't know is that woman was the same who not only wounded you but also killed Hanzo. Ya ever heard the notion that what you do or fail to do will have consequences on everyone you're around? Well Temari and I did our damnedest to kill her after we disposed of her partner but we couldn't. We could only wound her and she got away. Kiba was sure she'd die some other way or surrender so I lost focus. Sure I pondered whether she was dead or not as she got away from us but I assumed that we were still ok. When the battle was over I was right in front of Gaara congratulating him on taking out the Panzer but I bent over to clean up the bottle I dropped and like that Gaara was shot." Choji's look turned to surprise. "We had failed to kill her and she was out to kill me. That bullet that struck Gaara was intended for me but for some fucking reason, fate had me dodge it and someone else took it. Her little brother died due to us not being able to perform our duties. If the others knew that's what really happened I would be afraid of how she and I would be treated, especially by Kankuro or Matsuri. If I really did cause Gaara to die, then I don't deserve to be a corporal."

"Jesus..." He muttered to himself. "Shikamaru...I didn't know that was the case. I mean...I don't know what to say." We sucked in the warm September air and just stared at the ground. "Ya wanna know what I think pal?" I nodded in reply. "I think you're beating yourself up pretty badly that's for sure. I'm sorry such things had to happen and it really sucks Gaara died, but for you two to pin the blame solely on yourselves is a little too much if ya ask me."

"Easy for you to say Choji...it's just...well it's just..."

"What Shikamaru? It's just what?"

"It's just that for the first time in a long time I've never been so awash with guilt and confusion. I'm not completely blasé and unmotivated as many would perceive me to be. With Temari, she gave me a reason to not fuck around and actually care for people outside of my friends and family. I made an effort to do ever better and I don't even completely know why outside of keeping you guys alive, myself alive, and Temari alive. I feel like I failed that simple task."

"You're not a fuck-up Shikamaru. I never thought you were. If anything I should be more of a fuck-up. Shit I can't even get a girl let alone not get shot every time the enemy's near us. Sarutobi doesn't think so either since he promoted you after the labor camp raid. You're letting this get to you too much man, so c'mon and relax for a change. We've been resting for a couple months and I'm surprised you haven't been a slouch like Kiba or me!" Choji attempted to lighten the mood which I admit it did a little. I'm glad he's my best friend and that he can do that otherwise I'd have been dead from suicide a while ago. "Look I know it sucks but don't let it gnaw you away. If you do it'll only bite you in the ass even deeper and then something even worse will happen ok?"

"Yeah...good call Choji. Glad you're my pal..." I slapped him on the back as we just enjoyed the peace and quiet. Fifteen minutes later I got myself up. "Hey if ya don't mind I'm gonna see if Naruto is with Hinata all right?"

"Fine by me pal. Tell her, provided she's up, I said hello all right?"

"You got it pal."

The field hospital was a plain, white colored, four-story building along the outskirts of the town and military post we had set up. Painted in bright colors right at the front was a red cross and right above that the Konoha insignia in black. Awful paint job if I do say so myself. I walked in and immediately the sterile stench of liquids, gauze, and other medical junk invaded my senses. I felt almost rejuvenated by the cleanliness of it all.

"Hello can I help you corporal?" The nurse asked me from behind the counter.

"Hi. Yes I was looking for Private Hyuga, Hinata."

"Oh ok. She's in room 305C. Take the stairway to the left and she'll be in the right corridor down near the end of the hallway. First you need to sign in Corporal...?"

"Nara."

"Right." She responded as she handed me a binder with a long list of names. I scanned down and saw that Naruto had signed himself in around 7AM. I almost did a double-take. "_Naruto Uzumaki...up that early? And without anybody forcing him up?!?_" I signed right below some random names. "Ok thank you Corporal Nara and I hope your visit goes well.

"Thank you. Oh by the way did a Private Uzumaki show up by any chance?" I knew the answer to that question but my mind begged for more information. "You know blonde, marks on his cheeks, blue-eyed, kinda runty looking?"

"Hmm. Oh yes I do seem to remember a Private Naruto Uzumaki coming in here quite early. In fact he came in for the same person you're seeing now. I don't know if he left yet though."

"_Knowing Naruto...absolutely not._"

I walked up the flights and though the hallway. Approaching me was Captain Umino of Able Company. I reckoned he was able to score some R&R while another tank unit was busy fighting.

"Sir!" I froze up and stood against the wall as he came closer.

"Corporal Nara right? Hey don't worry right now about formalities. I was just checking up on Naruto since I heard about what happened to that poor Hyuga girl and how she got shot up trying to help him."

"I know sir...it's a damn shame."

"I may be a captain and all but I remember Naruto when he was just a boy and it concerns me when he's more than shook up. I'll give that girl credit for being so gutsy to prove something to him, but when it comes to this it's a fucking shame. Take note of that corporal. I know you're good pals with Naruto so I have a favor to ask."

"Yes sir?"

"Keep your eye on him. I've already heard stories from your Captain Hatake about how he's risked life and limb to help you guys and shockingly try to win some woman named Corporal Haruno but that's just Naruto. It was a miracle from God that he turned his affection to that girl after she nearly died once trying to save him because personally I think Private Hyuga is ten times better for him than any other girl I've seen. I guess seeing his heroine and love hurt so badly really hindered his usual mindset. It takes a thick skin to get through this war bullshit Corporal Nara and you seem like the kind of guy that has that. So please, look after Naruto and the Hyuga girl, if not for my sake then for theirs."

"Yes sir. I'll do what I can."

"Thanks corporal. You'll go far one day ya know that? You'll go far." With that last compliment he hustled down the stairs and was out of sight.

"_Great...once again some higher ranking guy not only thinks I have that so-called 'potential' but I get another request to look after people which means more responsibility. He obviously has no idea about my dealings with such things at Takigakure and how much it ruined me. Fucking troublesome..._"

I couldn't resist sneaking a peek at some of the other ladies and gentlemen in this place, a place I wish I'd never wind up. I could see some of them with blank, destroyed looks on their faces, some yelling or crying in pain and despair, some of them with stumps where feet or legs or arms used to be, some of them with bloody wraps around their heads and eyes, testament to the horrors we unleash on our fellow man. My mind shuddered with such awful sights, but when I walked into the room housing Hinata, I felt a relative calm, her once-hidden beauty finally showing itself. She was no longer bloodied and dirty, the accessible showers and nurses saw to that, and her hair was dark, long, beautiful, and silky. It amazed me how Naruto never saw this from the get-go but I guess it sometimes take a village. He was just sitting there by her side as she slept peacefully. I thought I noticed a faint smile on her face as if she was still asleep but felt Naruto's presence. His hand gently held hers as she lay under the snow white linen sheets.

"Hey there pipsqueak." I whispered to him. He must've not noticed me as he turned with a hint of surprise.

"Heya smartass. How goes it?"

With a smile as his mask he replied, "Same old thing Shikamaru, just hangin' in there."

"I'm sure you are. How's Hinata doing?"

"Oh no worrying about her! Doctors say she'll be up and running in no time. She's just very tired right now and needs her rest."

"It's practically noon time Naruto."

"Well still...she needs her rest." He took a deep breath and let it out gradually. "This feels...eerily familiar Shikamaru."

"It's probably because the same thing was happening back in July except this time she's the one that's hurt and you're the one constantly vigilant."

He chuckled. "Funny how things work out eh?" He then shook his head and most surprising to me, began to tear up. "Fuck man...I can't believe I fucked up like this. How did I not see this coming?"

"Whaddaya mean Naruto?"

"She said she didn't want to be a timid coward anymore. She said she was sick of everyone looking down at her because she wasn't like Sakura or Tenten and she wanted to show how brave she could be. The last time she was I was unconscious and this time in the Waterfall Nation she wanted to show me. Jesus Christ...she really wanted to prove it to me...a fucking idiot loser like me. Figures no other girl would give me the time of day except her since we were younger and I was too stupid to see it." A couple of tears hit the white sheets over Hinata. It was like outside of the Cloud Village all over again when Hinata poured her feelings to Choji and me. "Why didn't I just tell her? Why couldn't I just let her know that she already proved herself to me? I should've done more. You were right Shikamaru. I should've kept my eye on her. I should've noticed she was changing for the worse and she could've gotten herself killed just to fucking prove something she didn't need to!"

"Naruto...you did what you thought was right. Choji and I should've told you what she wanted directly. Then again I don't even know what's right nowadays. Temari and I have our own issues especially with Gaara's death. It's troublesome isn't it?"

"Never thought I'd say this but it is indeed troublesome."

"She knows you love her Naruto. I guess she wanted to really prove that she loves you more than anything...even if it meant injury or death."

"I should've just told her that I knew she loved me and that it made me happier than ever before."

"Well you can be thankful that at least she's alive." His tearing stopped as he wiped them away.

"I know...I already am. God she looks so beautiful. I still can't believe I never saw it. Hey Shikamaru, I've got a secret for ya. Please don't tell anyone."

"You have my word Naruto. Scout's honor..."

"Ok. Check this out." Naruto fumbled around his pockets fishing for what I had no idea. We had gotten up and moved a corner of the room. He then pulled out a small piece of wrapped cloth and began to open it. My eyes widened by what I saw. It was a silver ring with a tiny little diamond in the middle and the thing still shone with surreal brilliance.

"Naruto! Where on Earth did you get that?!?" I asked doing my best to keep my voice down.

"Shhhh! I found it in Takigakure in one of the buildings. I saw a bunch of jewelry lying around a pile of debris. I sifted through some of it and then found this." He explained with a smile as he fiddled with it.

"It's a looted ring?"

"I know what you're thinking but it looked so brand new that it couldn't have possibly been worn by anyone! Please don't think of me as a thief Shikamaru."

I didn't know what to say. Now was certainly not a time to point fingers at people or berate someone like Naruto in such a bad time for him. I thought about the rationale and seeing how we partook of the wine and other assorted goodies we knew Takigakure wouldn't miss, it didn't seem as heinous as I thought.

"I know you wouldn't expect such a thing out of me but...well given what's been happening and what happened to Hinata I became more and more frightened of what might never be. Shikamaru, I...I one day am going to propose to her and ask her to be my wife when this war is over." And there you have it ladies and gentlemen. My good friend Naruto Uzumaki wanted to ask Hinata Hyuga to marry him.

"Marriage Naruto? I mean you're almost twenty-three! Are you sure about this?" I was never too big on how youth seemed to want to marry at what I considered immature ages but the heart can be a funny thing.

"More sure than I ever have been! I'm just a poor, orphan kid Shikamaru who doesn't have much going for him outside of this war and I could never afford such a beautiful ring for such a beautiful girl but I'll be damned if I wasn't sure about this one. I may be young but I know even at our age we can work it out together."

"What about her family Naruto? What will you do afterwards with a job and with money? You might be a little impulsive on this one."

"Her family doesn't seem to care much about her and the only close link she had died back on Hill 404. If she's willing to give the world to me then I wanna do the same. As for what we'll do afterwards...well shit I know it looks impulsive but I know I can find something. I'll work day and night even if I make only change and it breaks my back, but that's what I'll do for her. I'm Naruto Uzumaki fer Chrissake! If I can attack a Sound StuG with just a satchel charge and a rifle and still survive...post-war life won't faze me one bit! Believe it..."

I grinned. I had to admire his confidence even with his current mental frustration. "All right buddy...I'll believe it. When the day comes and you need a hand, I'll be there for ya and so will Choji. When d'ya think you'll pop the question?"

"That's the problem. I don't know. I've seen the movies where there's always that special time and special place where romance is at its peak and all that freaky cosmic shit starts to apply. I hope something like that happens at just the right time."

"_Naïveté at its finest with lil' Naruto. No matter Shikamaru, let the man have his moment._" I gave him a rather puzzled look after his last few sentences but I shrugged them off. "Well I'm sure when that moment comes you'll know it." He smiled back. "_Look at me...giving out romantic advice when it was the last thing I'd ever want to do and when I'm nowhere near the resident expert on it_."

I stayed for about another hour talking with him. We pondered waking Hinata up but we concluded it was better for us guys to have some chit chat about guy things. The thoughts and pains of Gaara still lingered in my head but with Naruto they were less frequent, as if helping him out with his issues helped me subdue my own. It was around one o'clock and the last helpings of lunch were being served so I ran down at full speed to the chow hall and grabbed some stuff for Naruto and Hinata. He offered to help but in a rare moment of altruism I said I could handle it...good one. Sarutobi was there watching me hoard all this food and drink but surprisingly instead of scolding me or giving me shit he helped me out carrying some of it to the hospital. He didn't have much to say as Sergeant Morino was calling him back to go do whatever the NCOs do for fun. With haste as to not spill everything and make an ass out of myself I hurried up to Hinata's room where his eyes lit up. We proceeded to scarf everything down messily as we had not eaten since we got up. Pretty understandable...

"Oh man thanks a million Shikamaru! I owe ya one! She's gonna love this since all she's had is hospital food."

"No problem at all." I replied as I wiped the water and a tiny bit of sauce from my lips. The meal was decent but it felt like a filet mignon to the starving belly of a soldier. "Well Naruto I'm glad to see Hinata is doing better but if you'll excuse me Sergeant Sarutobi needs me for a couple things. Take it easy all right and tell Hinata I said hi when she wakes up ok?" Sure I was fibbing to him but the air in the hospital was stifling and despite my good friend Naruto and the lovely Hinata being here the rest of what I saw was nailed into my subconscious.

"You got it pal. I'll see you later."

I scurried down the stairs and outside where I meandered about for a good half-hour, enjoying the sunny day and the solitude I felt despite so many people around. A couple of grassy hills rolled alongside the northern edge of the camp next to some field where the men and women were playing a game of baseball. Two trees were rooted at the top of one of them and I noticed a small figure just sitting right beside one. The shades and taciturn look said it all. It was Shino. I haven't talked to him much and despite the fact he's a know-it-all, I felt the need to shoot the shit with him. He seemed rather content as I approached him, a beaded necklace in his hands as his thumb rubbed one of them.

"I hope I didn't disturb any sleep you were trying to get Shino. How's that body of yours since you took that nasty bullet?"

"Ah...Shikamaru what a pleasant surprise. You needn't worry yourself over my well-being. I'm about as fit as a fiddle thanks to Konoha's medical care. How goes everything on your front?"

"Meh...it's ok. It's up and down."

"Really? How so? Wait a second...it's still about the Sand child from my squad isn't it...Gaara?"

"A scholar and a psychic Shino. Why the fuck did you not do intelligence?"

"I've told you the answer to that Shikamaru so I don't need to repeat myself. What really troubles you?"

"Well Shino, I just still cannot get over what happened. I mean you were there." I had forgotten for a second that it was Kiba and Shino who assisted Temari and I against the Sound snipers back in Takigakure. "We fucked up big time in failing to kill her and I hate to beat a dead horse but had I not moved I would've taken that bullet instead of Gaara, and I might've been able to survive! I mean when things that are so coincidental happen like that, I can't help but wonder how much I'm screwing with lives."

"Ah guilt...one of the biggest strengths and weaknesses a man of character can have. I know exactly what you're feeling Shikamaru and believe you me, it's normal. Who we kill, who we cannot, who we let live and many other things we do towards others can affect us in good and bad ways, but in the end it's all part of a greater design." He rubbed his fingers on his prayer beads again.

Quite unlike me I got very agitated by what I perceived to be utter pretentiousness. "Oh spare me that religious crap Shino! I don't think there was any divine message witnessing a young teenager like Gaara shaking in horror as his life poured out from him! I don't think there was any divine purpose behind Neji being blown to nothingness or Kuze being torn to shreds or Hinata nearly dying! If you think there is tell me because I'd fucking love to know!"

"Ah well you mentioned Hinata. Let me ask you something, had she not been so seriously hurt, do you think Naruto would've matured the way he did or had Naruto not been in that coma, would he have finally learned about Hinata's love for him? Take your case for example. You bitched and moaned that you never wanted anything to do with this war, but had it not happened would you have formed even stronger friendships with Choji, Naruto, Kiba, or the others? And to push the point even further, would you have ever met that Sand woman Temari who you seem to be so very close with all of a sudden?" God damn it. I hated it when he pulled this intellectual crap on me because it worked like a charm. He got me there. I mean he made a point concerning Hinata and Naruto along with Temari and me. "Shikamaru, I know what you're thinking, that you and Temari are completely responsible for the death of Gaara. While yes it was a tragedy there are some things you cannot control. You and Temari did the best you could do under the circumstances given the strong Sound defense and your own injuries."

"But I could've done more!"

"And that's what everyone says when they fail no matter how hard they tried. There are many things we cannot grasp and things like war and death are two of them. Why do they occur? It's human nature for one thing and death is...well it's just nature altogether. It's all workings of something higher."

"Once again Shino you give me that God stuff...I don't think I ever told you I wasn't too big on that. It seemed too childish and too ideal." I sarcastically sneered to him.

"Hmm. I seem to recall you asking me for one of my prayers from my book before we took Hill #404. Now am I bullshitting you or did this happen Mr. Nara?"

"Yes...yes I did." I muttered angrily. I shouldn't have opened my mouth before...shit.

"Ah ha! So the cynical and doubtful can be swayed from time to time by curiosity of faith! I won't harass you Shikamaru because when you asked me for that I could've inquired as to why you wanted it given your lazy and apathetic nature but alas I did not. You may think so or not but I think there's a small faith in something growing inside of you where it never existed before. You've started to concern yourself with others and you feel that sometimes you cannot put all your eggs in one basket, that basket being your abilities to protect and guide."

"What is that why you're so calm all the time? You think there's some benevolent power that guides you instead of you having to get yourself out of a jam? I mean if that's the case then wow...talk about delusion."

"It helps me sleep at night Shikamaru. I hope you have such calm when you close your eyes at night."

"Ok...enlighten me. Say there are reasons, divine or just bigger reasons, to explain why things happen. Can there be a reason why Gaara took the bullet instead of me? Can there be a reason why there has to be so much bloodshed and tears? What kind of reasoning could a benevolent being have letting so much tragedy happen?"

"Good questions Shikamaru, but it might be a while before we find those reasons."

"Ok. And say that there are things that we think we have control of but in fact are part of some bigger plot. Let me ask you then, what are we to do? What do we do?"

"That's the sixty-four thousand dollar question you have to ask yourself Shikamaru. I ask myself that every day I have a breath in my body. I have an idea on what to do outside of being a good person and being dutiful, but we all face that dilemma. It's something you'll just have to find out. For me, the heavens help provide my answer and though I do not mean to appear high and mighty, if looking so and feeling so around others gives me inner peace then so be it. As many would say...shit happens Shikamaru. Life can really hit you where it hurts but if you can stand up from the blow and still remain faithful and strong to your loved ones, your friends, and the Lord, then you'll find the answers you seek eventually. Don't beat yourself up over Gaara. You did what you could and the rest played itself out and since hindsight is 20/20, all you can do is mourn his loss and move on. Am I helping you at all or just...wasting your time?"

To be honest it gave me only a modicum of satisfaction. I put on a game face. "No...no you're not wasting my time Shino. You're a smart guy like me though we still think somewhat differently and I respect that. I wouldn't come to you seeking some form of advice if you weren't serious about it. You seem to have it all figured out while I'm still at square one."

"Not true Shikamaru. I wouldn't generalize like that. Remember I have my doubts and my weaknesses too, it's just I don't show it as often as others. You think I might show myself as perfect but I know I'm not, not by a long shot. I just look for help from a higher power and people can call that naive but it makes me feel purposeful."

"Good point. Well listen I hope I didn't sour your mood."

"No...not really."

"Ok. Well in that case I'm going to take off. Sergeant Sarutobi wants to talk to me about a couple things and I wouldn't wanna keep him waiting for hours on end." I used the same fib I used on Naruto, why I haven't a clue, but it worked.

"May the wind be at your back Shikamaru."

"Say wha?"

"Nothing...just a going away blessing I picked up from Inari."

"Ah I see. Thank you Shino." With that I walked down the hill and back to wherever I felt like. Truth be told I did find some validity in Shino's beliefs. I mean it did seem strange that so many things I'd never think were possible fell into my lap, the biggest one being Temari. Sure a good chunk of me dismissed most of Shino's belief as that of a man who was content on imagination, but a small lingering piece of me kept poking at my psyche. Perhaps there was something bigger behind everything. Perhaps Naruto was never meant for Sakura and sooner or later either fate or some deity brought him to Hinata and vice versa. Though untimely and tragic, perhaps there was a reason Gaara had to go and why Temari and I both share the pain of our guilt instead of just me. Coincidence, cause, and consequence...what pains in my ass to ponder over. It would drive me nuts for a long time, and Sarutobi still thinks I've got what it takes to be sergeant. Troublesome...

I spent the next several hours in quiet reflection. I managed to find an isolated area away from the barracks, a soft, grassy depression with a few small trees to provide shade as I lay down. Last time I checked it was still a Sunday so there was little to no work to be done and I heard no news from my superiors. It was strange. When I was asleep in the field or just dead tired from a fight my mind played tricks on me. Eerie, haunting voices tormented my thoughts. Since Takigakure sleep was something I wasn't able to enjoy as much. Using the spare time I had I laid along the slope of the hill and closed my eyes. The wind and chirping of birds managed to calm my inner thoughts down a notch. No one was around as I checked from side to side.

"So...what to do with yourself eh Shikamaru? I mean everything has just become one big troublesome adventure huh? Everyone's hurt or dead or grieving...wonderful bag o' tricks ya got goin' for yourself! I mean sometimes I wish I could be regular, old Shikamaru Nara, the lazy smartass who didn't give a damn about much at all. Stupid war...stupid army...stupid Sound...stupid allies...stupid Sarutobi...stupid Temar..." I stopped myself from completing that last complaint. I dared not blame her for what went on in my head. Yeah she was still a bossy pain in my ass from time to time when people weren't around, but I couldn't get on her case. "C'mon Shikamaru," I continued to mutter to myself, "don't go attacking that broad. After all, you're the one who in a troublesome manner developed feelings for her. Those damn bluish eyes, that damn blonde hair, that damn body of hers, that damn aura of sass and confidence she exhibits, all of those things were so unconsciously appealing to me. Sure Ino is a blondie too, but she doesn't have that charm Temari had and Choji's already after her. Troublesome woman she is. Ha, maybe God did drop her on my lap like Shino said. Man that motherfucker can blow minds sometimes. I thought it'd only work on more impressionable people like Naruto or Kiba, but he must have some voodoo or something. All right then...God...we'll work a little deal all right? You keep me and those I care about alive through this unholy mess, and we'll maybe work something out all right? I mean you being...omnipotent and all, shouldn't be bargaining with a lowly being like me, but maybe your friend Shino is on to something, and things happened that I question your very existence on, and maybe some things happened that may have been through your grace. Anywho I won't waste your time anymore since you're probably workin' somewhere else but let's keep our deal in mind all right? Shit...listen to me, talking to the clouds, those carefree clouds again. Wow what a mess Shikamaru Nara. What a mess."

It was getting late and it was time for dinner chow. Sundays were always better for chow because the meals were cooked with a little extra care. Tonight they had spare ribs, rice, onion soup, bread, beans, and a whole smorgasbord of finger foods that made Choji drool in public. I sat with Naruto, Choji, Kiba, Sakura, Temari, who not surprisingly sat across from me, Ino, Toyama, and some others as we proceeded to annihilate every morsel of food in our path. We were like depressed fat people who kept eating to feel better, though of course we were more hungry than depressed. When it was all said and done I swore I gained ten pounds. Afterwards a bunch of us sat around playing hold 'em poker. We used what cash we could scrounge and pooled it. It was just a guys thing as Ino, Temari, Tenten, and the rest retreated to go do whatever the hell girls did in their free time. I kinda felt sorry for Temari seeing how she was the only Sand woman in a group of all Leaf women, but thanks to Sakura's efforts she fit in just nicely. I figured great minds think alike and since Sakura's quite scary like Temari and Temari had no interest whatsoever in Sasuke unlike Ino, they could be good pals. Sai ended up winning while I came in second and Kiba in third. The other poor saps left beating themselves up for falling victim to the trap of a good card game. It was getting to be around 9PM when lights out was called. The row of bulbs went out instantly darkening the room.

"Good night guys." Naruto said aloud.

"Good night Naruto."

"Good night Toyama."

"Good night Choji."

"Good night Kiba."

"Good night smartass...good night smartass...smartass?"

"Sai if you're referring to me my name is Shikamaru."

"Oh...sorry smartass. Good night."

I sighed. Sai never could be proper with names. I thought something was wrong in his noggin given how brutally honest he was to everyone. Sakura's punched him out on more than one occasion for calling her ugly or bitchy or using some offensive nickname. Of course he had his limits which explains why the first sergeant or captain haven't lopped off his head yet. It was quiet...very quiet as everyone stopped their chatter and hunkered down. I stared at the roof of the barracks, inspecting the most asinine details like those obsessive-compulsive types, the pattern of framing, the paint and the cracks forming, how many bolts were put in each bar, real pointless stuff.

"_Well this is going nowhere Shikamaru...guess you could try counting sheep. That sound like a novel idea?"_ Taking my own advice to heart, I did so and I'll be damned if it didn't work. My eyes opened up and strangely enough I was at the Ichiraku Ramen Bar. I was in my uniform but without a weapon and at the counter were Kiba, Naruto, and Choji in uniform as well.

"Hey! Look who finally showed up!" yelled Kiba. "We were just waiting for you! Hey Ayame how's about four ramen specials for a bunch of soldiers back home eh?"

"You got it Kiba!" The girl said from behind the counter.

"C'mon sit down. We got room for one more!" Kiba said to me as he pointed directly at the seat next to him. I smiled and sat down.

"So how's it going with that little Sand lady Shikamaru? You two got things all sorted out?" Choji asked.

"Why are you asking that? You should know the answer to that..." He didn't reply but just smiled as if he never said anything to begin with. Weird.

"Here you are gentlemen, four 'specials' for four hungry Leaf Army soldiers!" The hot bowls looked absolutely divine.

"Awesome! Dig in guys!" Naruto exclaimed and without further ado we did so. It tasted delicious with the scallions, tofu, noodles, and all sorts of other meat and seafood goodies.

"This is incredible! I've never tasted anything like it!" I said in astonishment.

"You think that's good then you're in for a treat. Can we also get..." Kiba whispered into the waitress's ear and she nodded. About five minutes later she showed up with four white ceramic cups and a steaming white glass. "Thanks doll face. How about this for after dinner guys? Special liquor for fightin' guys like us! Cheers!"

We raised our filled glasses with the warm, steamy liquid and gulped it down. It felt surprisingly good, like a good cup of tea or refreshing water. I had about four more of those before things started feeling tingly.

"Wow this stuff really kicks after about a half-hour!" Naruto said as his eyes got slightly glassy.

"Yeah...no kidding!" I muttered as I poured another helping into my cup. Like a clumsy idiot I spilled it on the table and in the way of the gentleman, who I didn't see come in, sitting to the right of me. "Oh shit! I'm so sorry pal. I didn't mean to do that."

"Nah don't be sorry..." The man turned his head and my heart skipped a beat, my hands shaking and my eyes widening. It was Hanzo. He just stared at me for a second, the wound in his head pouring a rivulet of blood down his nose and dripping off it.

"H-H-Hanzo...is that..."

"Don't be sorry to me Shikamaru. Hell...you should be sorry to him." His pale, corpse-like arm pointed to behind me. I turned and began to shake uncontrollably.

"It hurts...oh God it hurts..." The kid moaned from behind me. My lips quivered in terror. Gaara just stood there, his entire stomach area stained with blood, his eyes tearing black streaks down his face. His hand was clutching where he had been shot by that Sound woman.

"_It's all our faults! It's all our faults Shikamaru!_" Temari's screams filled the air, chilling my bones.

"No...no this isn't happening. Gaara I'm sorry...I'm so sorry. I failed. Temari and I failed you."

"_You thought you got rid of me boy? Wow where did that brain of yours go? I told you death comes when you least expect it and you blew me off...pathetic worm._" That voice...it was that voice again! Gaara's wound grew larger and larger, his whole body dripping with blood.

"What's going on? ANSWER ME!" I turned to see Kiba, Naruto, and Choji with their heads staring straight down at the table. "Choji what the fuck is going on?" I shook him but got no response. When I removed my hands they were covered in blood. "Oh God...what the hell is going on? What the hell is going on?" Then hands, skeletal, dead hands were grabbing me from all around. "Get off of me!"

"_It's your fault Shikamaru. Her baby brother is dead because you failed. I said you best not fail boy and look what happened!_"

"No! That's not true! I did the best I could! I did the best I could!" I screamed to the invisible voice following Shino's words as the hands kept tearing at me. "Get off of me God damn it! It's not my fault!" One went towards my throat and gripped it like a vice. I felt my windpipe being crushed and my eyes getting blurry. I tried to scream with all the strength I could muster as its grip got tighter. "Help me Temari...TEMARI!"

"Temari!" I gasped holding my throat, breathing heavily while coated in sweat. I fell back down and tried to make sense of it all. My blankets absorbed the sweat but my nervousness kept making it pour out of me like a leaky faucet. I needed some fresh air. Quickly but quietly grabbing my pants, my undershirt, and my boots, I snuck out the back entrance of the barracks. The night sky was lit with stars as a gentle breeze flowed around me. The slight sound of cricket chirping along with the wind against the leaves and grass helped my heart calm itself. I meandered over to where I had rested before only to find someone standing there. It was her.

"Temari..."

"Shikamaru! Can't sleep as well I see?" She turned to face me. I couldn't see all the details but she wore a simple white tank-top with her beige pants, barefoot on the grassy slope. Damn did she look good.

"Yeah...you know how it goes."

"All too well and that's the problem. Care to join me?"

"Sure. By the way, what were you doing out here all alone?"

"I think you know the answer to that partner."

"Gaara..."

"It's been two months since his death Shikamaru and still it haunts me. I can't sleep peacefully anymore."

"_More than you'll ever know Temari._" I thought to myself given my newest nightmare. "You're not alone Temari. I've lost a lot of sleep over it too. Hell that's the reason why I'm here too."

"Shikamaru, what the hell are we going to do? There's only a few that know what really happened and I couldn't even tell Kankuro the full story of that sniper. God I miss my baby brother so much. I miss the times we had since we were kids and the rare smiles I caught on his face. Remember what Kankuro and I said to you, that Gaara wouldn't find his peace until either the Soundies died or he died? Well one can think he found his peace but after watching my brother die like that, there's no peace at all. What are we going to do Shikamaru?"

Borrowing Shino's line on me, I replied, "Well that's the sixty-four thousand dollar question Temari. It's something we all have to ask ourselves and sooner or later will have to find the answer to." Thanks Shino. Looks like that academy education did pay off...for me that is. "Temari, we can't keep beating ourselves up over this. He's dead and I'll do anything to go back and take that bullet or stop that sniper but I cannot and neither can you."

"Shikamaru..." Her eyes got glossy with tears. "Please..."

"Yes Temari?"

She wrapped her arms around me and held me close, my arms enclosed around her as well. "Please, don't ever leave me. I lost my home, my friends, my parents, and now my little brother. I don't have much anymore in this world because of this war and I can't lose you or my brother to it." I felt the wetness of her tears as her sorrow crept back to her. It was a rarity to see such a bossy, sassy, troublesome woman so vulnerable but I wasn't going to say a damn thing about it or she'd probably hurt me something fierce.

"I won't Temari. I promise you. I won't leave you as long as you don't leave me. How about that? If you left me I'd be very upset." She looked at me and gave a light chuckle despite her worked up voice.

"Ok. If you die I'll kick your ass Shikamaru...that right there is a promise! I'll kick your ass so hard you'll die again!" I snickered along with her. It was a good feeling...something that we had been lacking for a while. "I know I never told you Shikamaru, but..."

"Yes Temari?"

"I love you." She had never said those three words to me and come to think of it I had never said the same to her as well. It felt as if my heart finally calmed itself. "I thought you were a crybaby jerk in the beginning but you changed my perception of you, though you can still be that lazy crybaby when you want to be. When we shook hands and declared ourselves partners, I felt something different with you than the rest of your comrades. You've got a talent comparable to mine and. You're a good person and you look after those you care for. As much as it goes against my normal Temari ways, I've fallen in love with you Shikamaru of the Leaf."

"You're a bossy, troublesome woman and you still are, but I can tell you right now since we became partners I've got to know you for who you are and though I've found the whole concept itself to be slightly troublesome, I've fallen in love with you Temari of the Sand." We rocked back and forth while still in our embrace. Though my first profession involved more action than words, this one felt better and got more off my chest than I imagined. I felt the guilt over Gaara's death fade slightly. Yes we screwed up but sometimes we can't help what happens no matter how hard we try. Perhaps even tragedy can lead to epiphanies such as this.

"Lazy crybaby..."

"Troublesome woman..."

She looked at me with those piercing blue eyes and pressed her lips on mine. As she pulled back I leaned in and followed suit. Before I knew it her hands were in my shirt caressing my skin with her soft touch. I strategically placed my hands on her hips and felt her soft skin again. She grabbed them and forced them to grip her shirt as she lifted them up, taking her shirt off in the process. My heart began to quicken its pace as I saw her beautiful body, breasts especially, again. She then quickly grabbed my shirt and lifted it off in less then a second.

"Shikamaru..."

"Yes Temari?" I asked as we held each other close again, her chest warming mine up, her heartbeat resonating with mine.

"I want you so much right now."

"I couldn't agree more!" I replied as we gently laid ourselves down on the soft grass, Temari unbuttoning my pants but I paused. "Temari, ya think anyone will see us?" I asked as a light hanging on a nearby building shone, revealing us a little bit. She paused for a second and dragged me behind one of the small trees.

"Now no one can so stop talking Shikamaru."

"But..."

"Stop talking." She said as she kissed me again while I kicked my boots off and she nearly ripped my pants off. Soon enough everything was in a closely placed ball next to us. She got herself on top of me and that rush of emotions and feelings came back. She grabbed my hips as she cocked her head back from the intensity and a few seconds later stared straight into my eyes.

"Shikamaru...take me...now!"

"Yes ma'am..."


	20. Chapter 20

I wouldn't necessarily call it a miracle cure-all, but God damn does that woman know how to lift the spirits! I swore I never had this much pep in my step in a long time! The next morning I walked down the barracks hall feeling like a new man. I went about strutting around like some ladies man crooner at a dance club wearing only my pants and a towel over my shoulder, still dripping a little bit from the shower.

"Good Lord Shikamaru did you get bonked on the head by something hard? Where's that lazy straight face you normally carry?" Kiba inquired, rather off-set by my sudden optimism.

"Yeah Shikamaru you act as if rainbows are comin' outta yer ass!" Toyama added.

"No ladies there's no magic or traumatic injury here! Ya just see a smooth, confident, Shikamaru Nara who," I paused as I brushed my hair with the towel and set my soap back in my foot locker, "is just feelin' fresh and clean and happy as a motherfucking clam!"

"Um Choji, what in the hell has gotten into your best friend?" I heard Ayako ask him.

"Oh him? Beats me!" He replied with a confident grin. He knew all right but like the good pal he was he didn't spill the beans.

I started singing to myself while putting a shirt on for a minute as Shino walked over.

"Hey what's up buddy?" I asked with a shit-eating grin. He just chuckled, shook his head, and sauntered off. I guess he had a good idea why I was so peppy all of a sudden while the knuckleheads like Naruto and Kiba were still wondering if something had possessed me.

"So Shikamaru...is there anything you're willing to share with your old pal Choji? I mean c'mon, I know why you're so happy and I think it begins with a 'T' and ends with an 'emari' am I right?"

"Nah ah ah my good buddy! A gentleman does not kiss and tell..."

"I fucking knew it!" He shook me like earthquake would while doing his best to keep his voice tactically low so only I could hear. "From the get-go I knew that woman was gonna be something different for ya! Not an Ino, or Sakura, or Tenten, or Hinata, but someone like you but also not like you and who can also give it right to ya!"

"Oh please Mr. Akimichi, you know I find it all troublesome." I playfully responded. He was right and for the first time in a long time I didn't treat this like some troublesome menace or pain in my ass but in fact the opposite. Last night was fucking incredible but as I stated before, since nothing seems to bring peace of mind better than lying on the grass watching the stars with a buxom blonde after you just had more then a romp with.

"Bullshit you like it and you know it!"

I turned my head from side to side and looked Choji straight in the eye. "If you tell anyone this I'll hurt you very badly to the best of my ability," obviously noting that his sheer muscular strength was enough to flatten me like a pancake, "but you're God damn right I do! I'm in love...again...and there's not a damn person who can shake me from this happy I've got goin' on!" And damn skippy there wasn't a damn person who could.

"Hey Nara!"

I winced, closed my eyes, and sighed deeply. "Fuck!" I mouthed out but did not speak aloud as I forgot to take into account the one person that could, and did, ruin my sunshine moment...that man was Sarutobi. "Yes...sergeant?" I turned to him with the fakest smile I could muster.

"Ok, before you even go into any detail as to why you have that oh-so cheery grin on your face..."

"Um, I didn't have any intention of doing so sergeant." I butted in. He just gave me his typical "what the fuck?" confused look.

"Regardless, I'd like to have a word with you in private as soon as you make yourself more presentable instead of lollygagging around like the rest of these numbskulls. Sergeant Uchiha!"

"What's up Sarutobi?" He asked as he poked his head from outside the door.

"Get the rest of these kids moving along. We've wasted enough time already with this bullshit. We've got training maneuvers at 1100 according to the LT and get Mitarashi to deal with the females. Morino is helping Sergeant Yamato with logistics so after I'm done with Corporal Nara, get this gaggle unfucked and ready outside with their gear on. Sound like a plan?" It sounded weird that Sarutobi was tasking Sasuke with something but given their comparative ages I could see the validity in such talk.

"You got it Sarutobi! All right boys and girls listen up! I want this place cleaned up, your shit squared away, and you all to be outside with full battle rattle by 1030 and I don't wanna see one person slack ass am I understood?"

"Yes sergeant!" The chorus of echoes rang through the hall as I had gotten myself dressed and ready to chat with Sarutobi.

We walked outside and went in between the male and female barracks, watching Mitarashi storm through and doubtless raising hell. I pitied the poor women under her command. "So what can I do ya for sergeant?"

"First off I wanted to ask why you're so chipper, no wait on second thought don't tell me because I can a good guess, and second I wanted to talk to you about what's happening with our refit."

"The details sergeant?"

"Well the LT already posted the roster up. We'll be getting four more green recruits to our squad, three males and a female. Their names are Nakamura, Asano, Nazuka, and Sugiyama. Nakamura's our B.A.R. gunner and from what I hear he's mighty good with it too, Asano is a straight-up rifleman along with Nazuka except one's an academy kid like Corporal Abrurame and the other's a fucking dimwit but tough as nails so we have him as Akimichi's assistant as well. Sugiyama is a little bit of a hybrid as a rifleman and grenadier. These greenies are comin' in a few days and do ya know what I want ya to do?"

I did my best to not show my disappointment. "I take it I'll be showin' them the ropes huh?"

"Ya see that Nara?" He patted me on the back. "This is why you're gonna be a sergeant one day! Smart kid you are Nara smart kid! When they arrive you're to first going take Nazuka to see Akimichi and then you're going to explain their new spots. Get them acquainted with Yamanaka, Toyama, and Temari as well. I want you to give them the attention and affection you so kindly show to your pals."

"_Was that supposed to be sarcasm because if so...hardy har har._"

"You're my right hand man Nara so don't mess this up. See ya outside at 1030 with your gal pal." With that he turned around and went off on his way to most likely smoke one of his thousands of cigarettes or to try and score some more in the Leaf Army's black market. He's too troublesome for words sometimes. I walked back in the barracks to see it abound with scrambling soldiers getting all their things on and whatnot. Casually I strolled to my bed, threw my belt on along with my equipment straps, topped off my canteens, grabbed my precious Springfield, and joined Choji who was already walking out the door.

"So what'd the sergeant have to tell ya Shikamaru?"

"Oh the usual, responsibility this, gonna be sergeant one day that, new members of the squad, blah...blah...fucking blah." My chipper mood was not completely killed, but certainly sucker-punched.

"New squad members eh? Did ya get any info on them?"

"Nothing too fancy but we've got an assistant for ya now!"

"No shit? That's a relief because I was gettin' pretty sick and tired of lugging all my ammo around. I mean yeah you guys and especially Ino have helped but given her frame she wouldn't last too long."

"That and she's a medic."

"Very true. So when're we seeing them?"

"Not for a couple of days."

"Well looks like they'll be hittin' the ground running. Word is we've got a big incursion going on in the Grass Nation. I heard Sasuke talking about how the brass is aiming to seal the Soundies off completely by liberating the Grass and Rain Nations."

"What about the Earth Nation and the Sand?" I inquired.

"Beats me."

"Well the way I see it, if what you're talking about is true, then we're basically sealing off Otogakure's means of reinforcement huh? I mean I know the Earth people are less than friends with us so ya think they're keeping the Sound busy while we get 'em from behind?" We had always heard that the Sound quickly overran the Earth forces but as the war progressed we learned that some contingents of Earth's army managed to continue fighting and have locked the Soundies in a stalemate with both sides hurting but not enough to assure defeat. However the Sound had those two other countries not only bordering us which was always a bad thing, but also available for the Sound to use as refitting and staging areas. It's nothing short of a miracle that the Earth people had held out before the Water Nation and Konoha finally took the fight to the enemy. For once the top dogs of Konoha were thinking right. If the Rain and Grass Nations became allied territory, then the Sound couldn't send those forces or any other reinforcements to smash the Earth Nation once and for all.

"Yeah I know it sounds a little arduous but if we can do it you're right Shikamaru. Those Sound fuckers won't have any place to go and then it's Otogakure or bust!"

"Otogakure or bust buddy, right Naruto?"

"Huh? Oh yeah sure...whatever you said!"

Outside the men and women of 2nd Platoon were scrambling to get squared away and in formation as our squad leaders were barking all sorts of unintelligible things with the exception of Sarutobi who seemed to be slightly more cordial with his finger pointing and gesturing. 2nd Platoon looked more like a ragtag group of grunts that was mashed together from bits and pieces of outfits that were overfilled, barring Kankuro and Temari who stuck out like sore thumbs from the get-go. Some of us, like Tenten, Choji, and Kankuro, carried only Garand rifles because no one brings a rocket launcher into a building you'd sleep in. I nuzzled myself in between Sarutobi and Temari, the latter of whom turned and gave me a suggestive wink.

"Get some good sleep last night partner?" She asked with the aura of false innocence.

"You can say that and then some...partner."

"2nd Platoon! Parade...rest!" Sergeant Yamato bellowed from in front of the formation. The gentle September air flowed through our ranks as we stared directly at our platoon sergeant who proceeded to walk back and forth, inspecting us as if we were to be on display. It was the typical protocol of Yamato. He'd walk around us, checking for proper rank and file, making sure someone like Naruto or Ayako wasn't acting stupid. He took a full walk around us, stopped to talk to 2LT Lee for a brief minute, then went back to the front. "At ease 2nd! Good morning!"

"Good morning sergeant!" We all yelled.

"Glad to see we're still in good spirits 2nd! I know it's been two months already and I know you're all itchin' to get back to the fight."

"_Yeah...I'm itchin' real badly._"

"I wanna say that it's been nothing short of a heavenly miracle that we've been through so much and managed to stay intact. We've lost many a good soldier and it has pained me as much as it has pained you. Though you may not think it, our efforts as part of Fox Company have already done so much and will be put down in the annals of history. Don't think our sacrifices and the deaths of our comrades have been in vain. The war still goes on and we still have a job to do. For the rest of the short amount of time we have here we will be conducting maneuvers. But today is a special day do you know why?"

Silence spread around the whole platoon.

"Today is when we along with the rest of Fox Company will be refit and back to full fighting strength! We have new recruits coming and I want you all to welcome them into our fold like you did those that came after Kumogakure. However we first have a little game we're gonna be playing. About two miles from here we have a mock city training site that we will be using for a couple of hours. 2nd Platoon will be split into two teams, one assault and one defense, and we will be practicing urban warfare until 3rd Platoon comes to play while we greet our new greenies. For ammunition we have blank rounds and adapters. For our Sand comrades who carry Sound weaponry, I apologize but you'll be using our weaponry as we do not have any modifiers for your weapons."

I noticed Temari grimacing along with Matsuri and a couple of others. We had adopted Matsuri into 2nd squad after the fight in Takigakure while the rest the Sand resistance stayed to assist in mopping up the place. I figured it'd be the right thing to do since she was close to Temari and Kankuro through Gaara and since Gaara was gone we needed a hole filled. Temari was clearly pissed as she tightened her grip on her Karabiner 98k. From the looks of it the rifle had been with her for the entire time she'd been fighting and the feel of a Springfield like mine might be troubling for her.

"We'll split the platoon into Team Able, consisting of 1st and 2nd squads along with 2LT Lee, and Team Baker, consisting of 3rd and 4th squads along with myself, with a couple of exceptions. The Sand sniper Temari in 3rd squad will be on Team Alpha while Corporal Nara will be on Team Baker. Each team will have one sniper and one machine gunner. Medics will now act as riflemen since no one will be hurt and the base medics will be there if someone does actually get hurt. Team Alpha will be the first to defend while Team Baker assaults. This is to train us on how to engage the Soundies in simple town and city environments. I know it's not the most realistic thing but we'll make do. Transport should be arriving in ten minutes so I want squad leaders to make any last minute preparations and start tasking out roles. Any questions?"

"Sergeant," Mitarashi's voice rang behind me, "what about the engineers and other sections? Will they be joining us?"

"Good question and no they will not. They have separate training from us today." I noticed Sasuke jerk his head to the side in disappointment as he wouldn't get to pal around with Sakura this time, as if he hasn't enough since we got back.

"Also we will have Captain Hatake inside the building and First Sergeant Guy outside to let us who if someone 'dies' or if the time is up on the scenario. Though it might sound like a game people, this is a serious matter since Takigakure was so ugly. When we meet and greet the new recruits we'll be running this scenario again and at full strength. It's imperative we get something out of this. That is it. Platoon attention! Fall out and assemble into your teams."

"So...partner, it seems that we will no longer be allies huh?" I playfully asked Temari.

"Tch. Oh silly crybaby, I will relish seeing you go down in the first round from yours truly."

"Oh you swear by that statement oh troublesome dame of the Sand? We'll see who goes down and without your trusty Kar98 you're in a dilly of a pickle now ain't ya?"

"Please, I'm well suited with all sorts of weaponry and I know," she retorted as she drew her head close to my ear, "where exactly to hit the 'sweet spot', partner." And with no one looking, hopefully, she managed to get through my defenses and give the baby makers just enough force to get a wince of pain out of me. "Oomph! Devil...woman...not...not again!" Damn it! That's the second time she's done that to me!

"See ya around, partner!" She gave me a peck on my forehead and waved as she approached Hinata and Shino.

"Wow she really lays it into ya huh buddy?" Choji asked as he probably got a peek of her antics.

"Yeah...she's, oh man that smarts, she's as subtle as a rhino."

"I can certainly tell."

"_She's still troublesome I see. Guess there's no getting rid of that._" I thought to myself while nonchalantly breathing out the dull ache she blessed me with.

The trucks came about ten minutes later as Sergeant Yamato had predicted. It only took two halftracks to load my team in as we soon hauled off to the training site.

"So Shikamaru, maybe we'll finally find out who the better sniper is! Hope your little Sand lover doesn't have ya by the sack the second this thing starts! You're not...whipped already are ya?" Toyama mocked while making kissing gestures at me.

"Ah shut up Toyama! Last time I checked I was the one getting laid and not you so you're not really in a position to argue huh?"

"Too much information Shikamaru! Now I'll have nightmares!" Ino moaned. Choji just rolled his eyes.

"Well he asked for it Ms. Drama Queen!"

"What did you say?"

"Ok children pipe down!" Sarutobi interjected. "God it's like babysitting some fuckin' preschoolers for Christ's sake! If I see you acting like this in training I'm gonna wrap you all on the heads so hard I'll leave permanent dents ya got that?"

"Yes sergeant..." We muttered timidly.

When the spoke of a mock city, they weren't kidding. They had set a bunch of abandoned buildings up like a city courtyard with barrels, boxes, fake debris, and all sorts of other shit to try and reenact the battlefield to the best of their ability. I was somewhat impressed by the Leaf Army and their surprisingly decent attempt to make something pass off as training. The training area itself was about a good mile or two in diameter with about ten, give or take, buildings ranging from a wooden shack to a three story residence.

"Wow. This is actually kinda cool!" Naruto said while spinning around to observe everything.

"Yeah for once I might actually enjoy this." Ayako added.

"All right 2nd bring it in!" Yamato yelled to us as he stood himself in front of the captain and first sergeant. We ran up to them and formed rank on the double. The captain was more than eager to speak as we stood at attention.

"At ease 2nd Platoon. I hope everyone is in good spirits because we're going to have a little fun and get some good training in am I right?"

A chorus of unintelligible noises came from us but I think he translated it as a yes.

"All right then. Here's what is going to happen. Inside this very building I'm standing in front of lies valuable enemy intelligence and communications equipment. Now, Team Baker, it is your mission to neutralize the enemy defenders, Team Able, and obtain this intelligence so that higher command will be wise to the enemy plans. Team Able will defend this building while Team Baker will assault from the end of the course to this very place. When the mission is over or the time is up we'll switch places. You have thirty minutes to do this. Blank adapters, blank rounds, and powder grenades will be distributed to you all accordingly. This is very important 2nd Platoon! Once your new replacements come we'll be running this course again and again so remember what works and what doesn't! We have a very important mission in the Grass Nation soon and we need to be trained up. On this, I will say, do not write anything in stone! The Soundies can be very unpredictable and deadly so it'd be foolish to take them lightly and think of them as patterned animals. This may seem like fun to some of you now but it won't be later. This is to better familiarize you with a typical urban warfare scenario. First Sergeant Guy and I will observe your movements and if we think you're dead, then you're dead. Do not argue with us otherwise you'll find a fate worse than fake death! Teams, you have fifteen minutes to prepare, plan, and set yourselves up. Do it!"

"Ok Baker this way! C'mon we don't have any time to waste so let's go!" Sergeant Yamato screamed as he bolted towards the start point.

"Ready to play pretend war 3rd?" Asked Sarutobi rather sarcastically while jogging towards Yamato. He knew the training value in this but it wasn't the real deal so it was harder to take it seriously. It was like playing shoot-em-up back on the playgrounds and the subsequent arguing of who killed who would most likely accompany the training exercise.

"_Jeez I hate to sound like a child but I sure hope that troublesome broad doesn't end up 'killing' me, though she seemed to have enough satisfaction killing my personality along with my child-producing capability when she felt like it._"

Yamato laid out the plans for us. 4th squad with Sergeant Mitarashi and himself were to be the main assault force while 3rd squad sneaks around and attempts to flank from the left. Choji would park himself at the two-story building across from the target building that is if he got that far, and lay down suppressing fire. Now it'd be up to Toyama, Sarutobi, Ino, and I to get inside and neutralize the 'enemy.' We had more grenades than Team Able so we'd have a slight advantage over them as far as clearing numbers. It was somewhat evenly matched and I looked forward to it.

"Team Able are you ready?" First Sergeant Guy asked in which he got a big yes. "Team Baker are you ready?"

"Ready first sergeant!" Sergeant Yamato yelled in reply. The whistle blew and like a horse race we burst out of our little staging area and proceeded to fire away at the defenders. I caught a faint glimpse of Temari through the scope as she fled her original position for another one.

"Keep to the sides Baker keep to the sides!" Our platoon sergeant said as we hugged whatever we could for cover. Naruto and Konohamaru had established themselves behind a stack of boxes which normally an MG42 would tear to shreds in ten seconds or less but then again this was pretend.

"Having fun like old times Naruto?" I asked him as I hid behind a wall.

"Just like when we were kids Shikamaru! HA HA!" He laughed slightly maniacally over the reports of our weapons.

"3rd squad on me! Get in the next building and stay low!" Sarutobi interjected as we scrambled towards the next building. The shooting from Team Able got louder as I quickly caught Temari before I hit the floor.

"You're dead!" The first sergeant's voice rang out.

"_Ah shit...did she get me already? Damn it man! That's such a drag!_"

"Private Yamanaka you're dead! Sniper got you before you could get down in time! Get to the rear!" He took a piece of chalk and marked a big "X" on her back.

"Aw son of a bitch! Thanks a lot Shikamaru!" She yelled at me, obviously thinking I'm somehow to blame because Temari got her instead of me.

"You're welcome!" I snickered a little bit. "_Thanks Temari...she was a pain in my ass, not like your version of pain in the ass but the __truly__ annoying pain in the ass. I'll make it up to ya._"

"Damn it one of ours down already. Ok guys let's just get Choji up safely so we can rush in! Toyama toss a grenade!"

"Twist, pull pin, and throw! Ain't nothin' to it!" He tossed one through the broken window and a puff of white smoke came out immediately. We waited a second and then heard the captain say someone's dead not once but twice.

"Well done Toyama. Now if only you could be as effective at killing Soundies as you are with your own people!" Sarutobi jabbed as Toyama took it in stride. We low crawled our way out the building to get sight of an alleyway lightly guarded by just Sasuke and Matsuri. Big mistake. Sarutobi signaled us to flush through as he led the way. We caught the two of them off-guard as our squad leader pumped blank round after blank round into the both of them getting the captain to send them off while the rest of Team Able was too busy dealing with 4th squad. From the looks of it though Ayako went down and so did Sergeant Yamato. Choji had set himself on the second floor and got some fire off before Temari had her way with him. It was just me, Toyama, and Sarutobi in the building. We managed to sneak in before anyone else could notice us.

"Shino ya hear that?" I heard Kiba mutter. There wasn't a response afterwards as Sarutobi led the sneak effort deeper inside. Suddenly out of nowhere the two of them busted out firing away. Sarutobi and I dove to the side while Toyama stood like a schmuck and they got him dead to rights. We fired right back and "killed" the both of them. The captain without hesitation marked their backs and sent them off somewhere. It was unfortunate because now everyone knew we were here.

"This is silly..." I lamented.

"Aw hell Nara this is actually a little enjoyable! C'mon let's clean house! I'll let ya have dibs on Temari!"

Two more people from 1st squad came rushing down as we cut them down but not before the captain ruled Sarutobi dead. Damn it!

"Looks like you're on your own kiddo!" The captain jeered to me as I slowly crept my way up to where I thought Temari was. The captain was up as well but slunk himself in the end of the hallway as I felt his gaze right down my back. A lone 1st squad rifleman was taking potshots at 4th until I took care of him. From the sounds of it, I could've sworn it was down to me and Temari. I spun to the entrance of the other room, being hesitant not to enter too quickly as I noticed she wasn't there. I inspected the other small, windowless room to find nothing as I turned back around, paranoid that she was stalking me. I should've thought smarter because the second I walked into that room a female yell of aggression was all I heard as I was set upon and slammed into the open door. My rifle was nearly smacked out of my hands and I felt the hard press of the wooden stock on hers, her face grinning at me maniacally.

"What're ya gonna do Leaf soldier? The enemy's got you and I could strangle you right now if I wanted!" She slid her rifle upwards towards my neck, almost achieving success had it not been for my left hand pushing it away.

"_Temari...what the hell are you doing?_"

Her grip suddenly loosened as she drew her knife and in a stabbing motion as I dropped my weapon and dove. She missed and hit the door instead. The blade stuck itself in, allowing me an opportunity to take her down to the ground as I drew mine.

"Not this time! Two can play at this game!" For a second I was wondering what in the hell I was doing wrestling around so seriously with her, as if she was the actual enemy. The hesitation to hurt her caught me off guard as she rolled on top of me, fighting away, our hands gripping each other pushing and pulling with untold strength. I quickly rolled her over and grabbed my knife, trying to place it at her throat to get her to stop. She tried pushing it away with all her might as a sharp blow to the side of my face rocked me, causing the grip of my knife to loosen. She took full advantage of it and smacked it away. The room filled itself with the grunts and yelling of her and me as if nothing else was going on when in truth everyone else was still fighting. She landed another blow to my jaw but I saw her wince in pain from the hit as well. She was on top once more as she tried to land an elbow on me but I caught it, her strength surprising me as she pushed down harder and harder. I found some purchase on the wooden floor and slid my left foot in between her legs and with every ounce of strength I could muster I forced her off of me, reaching almost impulsively for my pistol. She went about five feet back as she tried to regain her footing along with mine. With as much agility as I could get out of myself I stumbled back up and aimed my Colt directly at Temari who in turn drew her Luger right at me. We breathed heavily as our grips on our pistols were shaky but our gazes were like an eagle's, staring deeply into each other's eyes as a grin crept itself on my face and the same went for her. It was like a classic standoff, where two fighters just stared into each other's souls and the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

"Looks...looks like...an impasse huh?" I muttered.

"Yeah...well played...well played there buddy."

We crept closer to each other, the pistols still aimed right for our heads as we got within a foot of each other.

"What're you waiting for Leaf soldier? Why didn't ya shoot?"

"I...I was wondering the same thing myself concerning you." I replied as we had gotten so close we were only an inch apart. I had lost all track of time and surrounding as we continued to look into each other, the pistols now right at our temples. A hand got its way at the back of my neck and suddenly forced my head to her lips. "_A ruse eh Temari? Well you won't get me this time!_" As my right index finger ever so gently pulled the trigger and to my surprise I heard just not the click of my empty Colt, but the click of her Luger as well.

"I guess we're both dead eh partner?" She whispered into my ear while grabbing my collar. Her voice was soft on my ears and felt almost melodic. That troublesome woman...she was certainly a match for me. Good thing she's my ally...with benefits.

"So I take it neither of us won huh? Well, at least I got dibs on you before anyone else did. It'd be troublesome to settle for less..." We fell together on the floor as I got on top of her and reached in for another kiss.

"Hey Shikamaru we got the goods so let's bai..." Naruto stopped short as he barged right in to our little moment, the prick. We stopped everything and turned to him slowly.

"Hey! Naruto! How ya doin'?!?" I yelled out.

"Um...this is a bad time huh?"

"Jeez...YA THINK?"

"Hey Shikamaru...let him watch!" Temari whispered as she planted a big wet one on my lips.

"Oh you devilish woman you Temari! I like it!" I replied as I returned the favor. So troublesome but so awesome...

"Oh c'mon man!" We heard Naruto moan as we kissed again and again.

Certainly a great way to start off training! Team Baker won the round and I had a little more than just fun with Temari! That woman is certainly troublesome to say the least though. She acts like she actually was gonna kill me and five minutes later we're waxing romantic. Glad to know Sarutobi didn't see a single moment of that or I'd never hear the end of it. Both Temari and I threatened to do terrible things to Naruto if he said a word. He kept his mouth shut for the rest of the time we were there. We had three more run-throughs of the scenario and Team Baker was clearly superior in defense aside from one where instead of having Temari try and assault they just kept her in the back as she laid waste to half of my team before one of Kankuro's grenades got lucky and hit me with white powder. Ya think there could've been a more subtle message there when he killed me? The time had flown by and Teams Able and Baker were tied. Since 3rd Platoon had showed up already it was time for us to vacate and go greet our new recruits. I knew since Sarutobi was gonna be lazy giving the welcoming spiel to the new kids he'd leave it to me to go through the ordeal. I still pondered in my head who was more troublesome, Temari or Sarutobi. It was a tough call considering the sheer difference in troublesomeness they presented. Temari was troublesome to my cynicism, pride, and libido while Sarutobi was troublesome to my quest for a decent sleep, lack of responsibility, and once again my cynicism. Like apples and oranges comparing them was.

We were somewhat tired and it wasn't even 2PM yet! We stopped by the chow hall to get some well-deserved foodstuffs while we got gawked at by the cookies. Half of us looked like ghosts with all the white powder on us from the grenades, laughing all the while as we got the usual beans, bread, rice, and other things it'd take a scientist to label. We didn't care though because we were hungry as hell. Hell even Temari displayed the most atrocious table manners the likes of which I had never seen as she shoveled everything into her mouth with little regard for those watching. Like I said to Choji...she's as subtle as a rhino. Then again my large and blonde companions were worse than her so luckily all eyes weren't on her. I did see Ino's jaw drop in awe of Temari's sheer aggressiveness in eating. That little scrap we had must've worked up some appetite!

"Um Temari can I have some of your biscuits and gravy?" I asked as I reached over only to be slapped on my hand with surprising ferocity.

"MINE!" It was all she said as her mouth was stuffed with food. A second later she took some of hers and put it on my plate with a wink and a smile after she had swallowed her food.

"Ha. Funny girl you are Temari...funny funny!"

"Come on 2nd Platoon shove it down your throats!" Sergeant Yamato yelled over the chatter. "You can always digest it later! We've got new recruits that need some orientation otherwise they'll just wander around like idiots." Upon his instructions we proceeded to ravage whatever else was left on our plates with just water and coffee to wash it down. Afterwards we did our best to run towards the barracks halls and not spew our contents in the process. The buses that had the new recruits were right in front of the company staging area, 2nd Platoon's clearly marked. I wish I had gotten pictures of these new kids because I really didn't wanna have to go through the trouble of weeding them out. 2nd Platoon had formed in front of the barracks area while the representatives from each squad went to grab their respective replacements. Accompanying me were Shino, Tenten, and Ayako.

"Looks like I wasn't the only one who got shafted with this job instead of having the squad leader do it huh?" I asked as we walked almost in a perfect horizontal line.

"Alas my dear Shikamaru that's our jobs as rising, veteran soldiers, to handle whatever our beloved NCOs do not want to take care of."

"A genius assumption Shino," Tenten jeered, "but that of course doesn't mean that we want to do it either."

"Oh on the contrary Tenten, I always look forward to being the 'go to' guy from the get-go whenever it pertains to those new in our ranks.

"Look that's nice and all guys but we're gettin' close to them so let's zip it and put on the game face ok?" Ayako suggested in an attempt to stop what he considered worthless conversation.

"Oh shit guys...here they come!" We heard one of them announce as they quickly got into some sort of file that looked more like a gaggle but it would've been too troublesome to try and say something about it now.

The four of us stopped for a second as scanned the whole mess of new privates. Some were eager with smiles on their faces, some were nervous and shook a little bit, and some bore just normal, almost fatalistic looks.

"So...who's gonna be the one to talk first?" Ayako pondered.

"Ok fine, 1, 2, 3, not it!" Tenten blurted out.

"Not it!"

"Not it!"

"Not...ah God damn it!" I moaned as I was the last one to catch on. A few of the privates couldn't help but snicker but a quick glare from Ayako shut them right up. "All right then. Welcome oh green recruits, to 2nd Platoon! I'm Corporal Shikamaru Nara of 3rd squad. With me are Private First Class Tenten of 1st squad, Corporal Shino Abruame of 2nd squad, and Private First Class Yoshi Ayako of 4th squad. Each one of us will call of a list of names and when you hear your name link up with the squad representative. Tenten could you start?"

Tenten called off the list of new recruits and five kids got behind her. From the looks of it there were about four men and a female. Shino called off his list and got four extras. I called off mine and got a glimpse of each one. Nakamura was a brown-haired, average-looking kid that looked like he was around twenty. He seemed to keep his mouth shut since I've seen him outside of a simple hello or yes which I had no problem with. I told him he'd do just fine with me. Asano was smaller, more around Konohamaru's height and bore a light complexion with glasses and a meek-looking face. I had pretty much deduced that he was the kindred spirit of Shino as he saw him and smiled.

"You know the new kid Shino?"

"He was one class behind me. Good kid and pretty smart too, but a little shy. He's like a male Hinata before she finally got with Naruto."

"I see." Hopefully for Asano's sake he'd shed that pronto. The next guy was almost as large as Choji and bore a mean look, his black hair and dark eyes certainly matching the persona description that Sarutobi had given. "You must be Nazuka huh? Damn you're large!"

"That's right corporal. Ain't no man in Konoha tougher than me!"

"Ha! Is that so private? I think you'll like Private Akimichi when you meet him! Ok...last but not least, Private Sugiyama?"

A woman budged her way through the crowd and waved to me. She was a certainly stunning young girl, with reddish hair and a tough but seductive look on her face. "That's me Corporal Nara! Private Yuriko Sugiyama at yer service and ready to kill some Soundies!"

"Enthusiasm eh? It's certainly admirable." She smiled back at me.

Through the wonderful scientific process of elimination, the rest went to Ayako. I got in front of the whole group. "All right I'm glad to see the gang's all here, so now if you'd kindly follow me you can meet your squads and your squad leaders. A word of advice though, do not fuck around with the NCOs or they will have your ass in a sling and I can fucking guarantee you that! Let's go. Double time!"

With enthusiasm only newbies like them could exhibit, the recruits knocked each other over in a mad dash to get to their squads first and get that first impression in. I saw the same shit when I first entered and made little to no effort to get myself first in line with the platoon, of course despite my efforts Sarutobi noticed me anyway.

"Jesus Nara! I thought you'd have them all rank and file and instead you send me a clusterfuck!" Sarutobi complained which I knew was just an attempt to get my goat.

"You wanted me to get the green soldiers and get them I did."

"Well...how about a fucking introduction?" I hated how he expected me to be a fucking mind reader and do everything he wanted me to do without asking me.

"What a drag," I muttered to myself, "Ok new guys let me introduce you to 3rd squad. We have our medic, Private Ino Yamanaka."

"Hey guys!" She enthusiastically greeted the four. "I'm one of the best medics around so you don't worry one bit about getting hurt on my watch! Good to see another female in the squad as well!" Sugiyama blushed.

"Ok next we have our .30 cal gunner, Private First Class Choji Akimichi."

"So this is the guy you were talking about corporal?" Nazuka inquired.

"The one and only Akimichi is right in front of you Nazuka."

"Ha! He's almost as big as I am Shikamaru!" Choji exclaimed. "Damn kid, stick with me and you'll get to be as big as I am!" Nazuka laughed.

"All right Choji...it'll be good to have some strongman competition in the squad. You're on!" I rolled my eyes.

"Ok next we have Temari. She's a sniper from the Sand resistance group."

"Heya." It was all Temari said as she waved to them with a tiny grin.

"A Sand resistance fighter in our squad? This is interesting." That was the longest sentence I heard Asano say so far. I could tell from his tone that he was more intrigued and excited than upset about the whole concept.

"Wow! Quite a looker Corporal Nara," Nakamura whispered to my ear, "I wonder if she's taken..."

"No dice kid. She's mine." I whispered back much to his disappointment. Damn right she was mine!

"All right! Two more ass-kickin' females to fight the Sound with! I'm gonna love this squad!" Sugiyama's enthusiasm increased with every moment.

"Next we have Private First Class Kazuo Toyama. This guy may look like a knucklehead but he's good people. Trust me on this."

"Hello Toyama. Nice to meet you." Nakamura extended his hand as Toyama shook it.

"The pleasure's all mine."

"Hey there I'm Sugiyama. Nice to meet another member of the team!" She grabbed his hand and gave it a firm squeeze. Toyama blushed beet red as he appeared dumbfounded by her looks.

"_Oh ho! What is this that is unfolding?_"

"Um, hi there. Uh, it's really nice to uh, meet you too." He squeaked out. "Wow..." Choji and Ino leaned over looking at him wondering what the deal was with the sudden meekness.

"All right guys last but most certainly not least we have our squad leader, Staff Sergeant Asuma Sarutobi. You listen to him at all times he's around because he will keep you alive unless you're stupid and try and be a hero."

"Welcome new meat...to 3rd squad! As my right hand man Corporal Nara said, I'm the say in this squad and if you stick with me your chances of not getting plugged by the Soundies vastly increases. We work hard and we play hard but we never, ever fuck around! Also, if I'm not around Corporal Nara has the say and there's no questioning it. I don't wanna see pissing contests, I don't wanna see bullshit heroics, and I don't wanna see anyone raising an attitude with me or you will suffer a fate worse than what the Soundies can come up with! This war is no joke and there is nothing good from any of you getting a bullet in your head just for trying to get a shiny medal. Nazuka you're Akimichi's assistant gunner, ammo bearer, and spotter. Asano I want you with Nara and Temari as a spotter. As for you Nakamura and Sugiyama, stick with me, Yamanaka, and Toyama. You'll pick this shit up real quick. It's not like chemistry or math. Just point, shoot, take cover when you can, and don't be stupid...it's that simple." He gave Ino, Choji, and I a somewhat similar speech when we first met him. The privates were hushed by his somewhat abrasive tone but Sarutobi's job wasn't to be pals with them. His job was to keep them alive, give them orders, and help them win the war and go home. I respected him for keeping that stance even if he acted slightly different with me "Outside of that, let me say again, welcome to 3rd squad of 2nd Platoon of Fox Company, the toughest motherfuckers Konoha's Army ever made." That last line made Nazuka giddy like a child with a new toy. He kind of reminded me of Naruto when he first got into 2nd Platoon with me and Choji. Of course now Naruto's grown up a little bit so I hope that Nazuka does the same. I was more intrigued with Toyama's reaction to Sugiyama, most likely caught off guard by her sudden friendliness to him and her good looks. Methinks our buddy might've gotten a little crush on her already. This was hilarious. I was with Temari, Choji and Ino could possibly be an item and now the possibility of a third item was on the table. Hilarious I say.

We spend the rest of the day getting the recruits fitted with our unit, going over command structures, standard operating procedures, and a whole bunch of other shit they probably learned already but had to be drilled into their heads to make the Leaf Army brass happy. The captain and the first sergeant had showed up when all the platoons were done training and had their ranks refilled. They prattled on with their typical leader speeches while I managed to get about ten minutes of sleep before Sarutobi slapped me upside the head. After all the formality bullshit was taken care of it was time for another priority, food. The cookies had whipped up fried chicken, potatoes, beef stew, and some other surprisingly better tasting food which Choji and I assumed was just a little welcoming meal for the newbies. We noticed the glee from the new kids knowing full well this was definitely better than the slop they served in basic. Afterwards we held a formation outside the barracks where Sergeant Yamato gave another welcoming spiel as 2LT Lee slunk off somewhere. Suddenly a thought crept into the back of my mind.

"_Where in the hell is Hinata? Is she still in the hospital? Jeez I'm surprised Naruto hasn't snuck off to see her but then again he's been stuck here most likely itching to see her again._" I'm shocked I didn't think about it the whole time as I had seen her sleeping in bed just yesterday.

"And before you all go inside I have one other surprise for you. As you can see 2nd squad was short one person the entire day and that was because that brave little lady was still in the hospital. During the Battle of Takigakure she was badly wounded in the line of duty bravely fighting the Sound. Well she's finally made a full recovery and is more than eager to rejoin our ranks."

I tactfully turned my head to see two figures approaching us, one male and one female, both in uniform and full gear. Naruto's face lit up like a floodlight.

"Well 2nd Platoon if you'd be so kind, please welcome back Private First Class Hinata Hyuga!" The platoon roared in applause as she and 2LT Lee walked back from wherever he picked her up. She was blushing as she was a little skittish to walk right in front of the whole platoon.

"HINATA!" Naruto screamed as he broke rank and dashed towards her, hoisting her up and spinning around like in the romance novels before running back to the platoon while carrying her. "Hinata I missed you so much!" The LT just laughed and smiled which most likely saved Naruto from getting a thrashing from Sergeant Mitarashi. He kissed her again and again as she hugged him back and rested her head on his chest

"Naruto...thank you." She was let down as she walked towards her squad, getting pats on the shoulders and back from Sasuke, Shino, Matsuri, Kiba, Tenten, and many other soldiers.

"Great to have ya back Hinata!" Choji yelled.

"Yes I'm with him one hundred percent Hinata. Always great to see ya with us!" I added. She just nodded and smiled. Wonderful. It was amazing to see Naruto back in not just good spirits, but spirits as if he was just witnessed a miracle. "Our little Naruto is growing up...makes me almost wanna cry." I said to Choji.

"I'm already tearing up." He added playfully.

"Sir, do you have any words?" Yamato asked Lee. He went up to the front of the formation as Yamato called us to attention.

"At ease 2nd Platoon! Well that was certainly enough excitement for one day! It's great to see us back at full fighting strength with the recovered like Corporal Aburame and Private Hyuga and the brand new! I look at you new recruits and I see potential to fulfill our duties to the fullest extent and defeat the Sound with Konoha's will of fire! We suffered a good amount in the past and though the war is not over, we will make the Soundies pay for every one of our comrades they took! In one week we will be rejoining the battle by liberating the Grass Nation! It will be another hard fight but we will succeed because justice and liberty are on our side! None can stop us with our will of fire!" Though I didn't do a lot of it, the rest of 2nd Platoon ate up his whole soapbox routine again. "All right 2nd Platoon. You're done for the day. Go inside, get your gear cleaned and set up, hit the showers, and get the last words from your sergeant. This week is gonna be a big one because like I said before we'll be back out killing Soundies before you know it! Platoon, attention! Dismissed!" We cheered as we crammed our way into the barracks doors but not before I turned to see Temari.

"Good night Temari. Try not to raise too much hell with our new female please...it's too troublesome to try and counter or fix."

She chuckled. "Oh ok Mr. Crybaby, I'll be gentle on the women folk in your platoon. As for you, get yourself cleaned up because you smell...badly!"

"I could say the same about you Ms. Troublesome."

"You're too much. Anyway, get your ass in there and help those poor saps out. Take care partner!" She gave me a peck on the cheek before scampering off to shoot the shit with Tenten and the newbie Sugiyama.

"_She says I'm too much...jeez._"

When I walked in Kiba had wasted no time dropping his clothes and running bare-assed into the showers where he yelled as if he had just had bumped uglies with a bombshell supermodel. "Oh my dear Lord! This is incredible!"

"Keep it down in there dipshit!" Ayako yelled. "No one wants to hear your sex sounds!" It made me glad no one ever caught Temari and me in the act otherwise I'd never hear the end of it.

"Fuck you Ayako, you just don't appreciate the love you get from a nice warm shower!"

"Im'ma towel-whip is ass so bad when he gets out!" He said to Naruto and me.

"Well for God's sake Ayako let me get in and out before you do anything otherwise bad things will happen."

"No worries Shikamaru. You won't get a single hit from me."

The warm water felt great on my sore and dirty body as I relaxed and cleaned up for a few minutes, coming out smelling like a new man and surprisingly antsy for Temari to be right there waiting but to no avail. A shame these things were segregated by gender.

"Oh man I'm fucking beat!" Toyama moaned. "I'm ready to hit the rack right now. What time is it Shikamaru?"

"It's a little past nine."

"Ah. Yeah that's perfect sleep time for me since we'll be doing more shit tomorrow and with the newbies. Speaking of which how about that Sugiyama huh? She's quite a catch for the eyes eh? And that red hair...damn that's nice!"

"Speak for yourself there chum. You were left dumbfounded by her when ya first met her."

"Touché Shikamaru."

"So I guess we're going back to the fight in a week. Makes me a little nervous." Naruto said rather surprisingly.

"Well Naruto it's what we were drafted to do. That nervousness isn't felt only by you and I bet our new comrades are feeling the exact same thing. I guess all we can do is enjoy the time we have here back home before we're taken away again to do what few want to. It's the sad reality of things."

"Too true Shino too true. So Naruto I bet you're giddy that Hinata's back huh?" I asked.

"You're God damn right I am! We have a lot to catch up on that's for sure and I need to tell her a lot of things before we go off again."

"I'm sure I know what you intend to tell her."

"A regular mind-reader Shikamaru..." Of course it didn't take a huge thought process to know what Naruto had to finally tell her. Of course he wouldn't bust out the marriage proposal yet but he'd reaffirm his love for her and he had better promise to be at her side through thick and though thin because I didn't think such close calls would happen a second time.

"Oh man. I'm with Toyama. I'm feeling rather bushed as well. I think it's time to hit the rack myself." I announced, agreeing with my fellow squad member for a change. It was around ten and we had to get up early. It's time for bed. I yawned while stretching as far as I could. "Well good night guys. See you all in the morning bright and early. And new guys...welcome to the fun times of the platoon. You'll see the suck soon enough."

"Good night Shikamaru." said Naruto.

"Good night Kiba."

"Good night Shino."

"Good night Kankuro."

"Good night Ayako."

"Good night smartass...good night smartass...smartass?"

I rose from my bed. Where the hell did he come from? "God damn it Sai my name is Shikamaru Nara...NOT SMARTASS! GOOD NIGHT!" Slamming myself into the side of the bed I did my best to close my eyes.

"_Oh man...one more week and we're back out there. What a drag. The last thing I wanna see right now is more killing and more dying. But Shino's right...we gotta do it. Well Shikamaru, life still wants to give you shit but all you can do is just smile and make do with what you've got. You've got new recruits to mentor. You've got Naruto, Shino, and Choji to back you up. And you've always got...Temari._" My subconscious was right again. It was tragic to lose Gaara and so see so much death and misery up close but they are necessary evils that I have to endure, to fight for those I care about. Sure I didn't really believe myself as a leader but I always believed in my friends and now I believe in Temari.

"_You'll get through this Shikamaru...I know you will...and you'll get through it with them...and her...with her._" I closed my eyes and fell right to sleep, comforted by the thoughts of knowing I wasn't alone in this crazy war. It was rest and comfort I haven't felt in a while, because Lord knows in one week it won't be so easy to have. "_One week Shikamaru and you'll be back out there...one week._"


	21. Chapter 21

"Everyone ready? We're about to enter the Grass Nation!" The first sergeant's voice rang through the radio static. He got cheers and affirmations in reply. "All right Fox Company...MOVE OUT!" And like that our time back home was over and we had successfully crossed into the Grass Nation. We had entered from the southeast tip of their border and flowed right on in. It had already been an hour and no contact whatsoever.

"So guys...how do ya like it? Your first look at another land!" Toyama yelled to the new guys as they stared out the back of the halftrack. They stared in awe at the lush countryside of the Grass Nation. It was a very beautiful place, filled with all sorts of golden plains, peaceful lakes, and grassy knolls. Sugiyama turned to him and winked, causing him to slightly blush. He turned to Choji who just smiled and raised his eyebrows suggestively as Ino chuckled at Toyama. I don't think we'd let him go on this for a while.

"Wow...it's prettier than the pictures I used to see from my father's trips. It's...so pretty. It's as if it was never touched by the scourge of war...ever. It's as if we're being welcomed by the earth itself and enjoying everything it wants to show us." Temari said to me as she nuzzled up beside me, watching the scenery along with everyone else. I could've ruined the moment by telling her that where we are going there's not a whole lot of this, but I decided to be more taciturn and just nod in agreement. Usually she'd say something demeaning or not be the conversationalist while we were riding. She was usually too focused on the mission but this time the nice scenery must've changed her thought process for even just a little bit.

"This is a new Temari I'm seeing. I never thought you were so philosophical. It's almost touching." I replied in a silly manner.

"Oh no. I'm still your dangerous Temari, Shikamaru. Don't think I've gotten soft because of some plains and flowers! Remember I'm still that devil woman and you, you're still mine! Not the other way around!" She retorted sharply as she ever so subtly slid her hand down the back of my pants and gave my ass a squeeze, making me hop an inch above the ground as my eyes turned to her, her seductive smile and wink there to grace my sight.

"_Seriously...troublesome woman she is._"

"So where are we heading sergeant?" Nazuka asked.

"Well Nazuka, we're heading to the staging area about five miles due south. Major Shizune is waiting to give Fox Company the next assignment."

"Any guess as to what we might be doin' sergeant?" Nakamura asked as well.

"Well we just got a bunch of fitted Jeeps so we might be doing some recon at first...see if the Soundies are cooking something up that we don't know about. The Soundies are a tricky and unpredictable bunch of fuckers. Sure we've managed to hit them at every corner, but they can throw a good punch when the game's on the line." He was right. The Soundies were definitely not a bunch to fuck around with, but given what we went through we had made some adjustments to our arsenal. We got a whole bunch of new Jeeps fitted with .50 caliber machine guns along with a couple quad-gun halftracks to really tear the Sound infantry apart so we wouldn't always have to rely on guys like Choji to do all the grunt work. We considered it a present from the brass for our work at Takigakure. Figures the old fuckers finally gave us some new toys to play with. I could catch the Garrison HQ in the distance as I relished the opportunity to possibly get a quick nap in before our recon assignments or whatever Sarutobi thought they had planned for us. We had nearly approached it when suddenly the radio was more than alive with traffic.

"To..._fzzhkkh_...who can hear this..._kshhhh_, this is Bravo Six, Lieutenant..._kzzzzh_... of..._kzzzh..._requesting immediate assistance! Sound fuckers..._bzzzzz..._caught us with our pants down! I'm..._bzzzzz_...men here..._kssh_! We need some..._kshhh..._help...NOW, OVER!"

The HQ radio's voice went hot with Major Shizune's barking. "Bravo Six, this is White Oak HQ. Where is your location Bravo Six? I repeat, where is your location, over?"

"We're at..._kzzzh_...Kilo Zulu 328048..._ksssh _over!"

"Say again, we did not get that last location! Repeat location, over."

"God damn it!" The sounds of explosions and furious gunfire rang through the receivers. "I say again, Posi..._bzzzz_...Kilo Zulu 32804811, over! Get some fu_...bzzzz_...help over now! We can't last much..._ksssh_!"

"Copy that Bravo Six. Bravo Six? Bravo Six come in! Damn it! Attention all available units, we've got some of our own surrounded by Soundies west of HQ. They need help and evacuation ASAP! Can anyone assist? Over!"

"Jesus that's bad news...they need help and quick." Ino commented. The newbies were somewhat shaken but I could see in their slightly innocent eyes that they wanted to do something about it.

"Yeah no kidding." Sarutobi added.

"_Please don't say yes, please don't say yes, please someone else...please volunteer..._" The thoughts rang through my head because the last thing I wanted was for us to get ourselves in a sticky mess. Sure it sounded callous but I didn't wanna christen our first steps in the Grass Nation by already getting in the thick of it. Nevertheless I almost forgot about the level of motivation my company seemed to have with putting itself in precarious and needlessly risky situations, especially when dealing with the Sound.

"White Oak HQ, this is Fox Company. Judging by the map we're the closest to that location. We are more than able to assist, over."

"_Oh man...troublesome..._"

"Oh thank God. Captain Hatake we owe ya one! Bravo Six, if you can hear this, Fox Company is on their way to assist you. ETA is fifteen minutes so hold tight, over!"

The next transmission was the officer's voice but we could barely make out what she was talking about. Once again the sounds of combat over the radio were intensifying and then silence. We had hoped that she and the rest of her outfit were still alive and hanging on. A huff of agitation left my lips. Though of course it'd be the right thing to do helping a comrade out, it was the last thing I wanted to do outside of walk blindfolded into a Sound minefield while being mortared.

"You heard the captain Fox Company, if we don't help these guys out they'll be dead to rights!" The first sergeant screamed.

"Hey top, did that voice sound familiar to you?"

"Good call sir, but she said she was an LT. Could you make out what unit she was with?"

"No I didn't get that...that's why I was askin' you."

"Sorry sir, no dice."

"Damn. All right we don't really know what we're up against so we're gonna have to strike fast and hard. Judging by the sounds of it they're being hit by a lot of infantry, maybe some mechanized. All units hold tight. We'll figure out how to go about this when we get sight of the enemy. Stay along the roads until we get near their noted location."

The trucks and Jeeps accelerated as fast as they could along the dirt roads, paying no mind to everyone sitting down having to endure their asses getting tenderized by the constant bumps. Out of nowhere our company veered to the left into makeshift trails and ankle-high grass.

"How close are we?" We heard the captain ask the driver. "Ok. All right Fox Company, listen up! We're about five minutes from our destination. I want all quad halftracks in the front along with .30 caliber Jeeps! I intend to lay down as much suppressing fire on the Soundies as possible as to give these guys some respite. If terrain works to our advantage we can make several sweeping passes on the Sound lines. Everyone else will dismount in platoon formation and engage the enemy as they see fit. We don't quite know where they're coming from so we'll play it like that for right now."

Sarutobi started laughing loudly, much to our bewilderment.

"Sergeant...what in the hell are you laughing at?"

"I'm laughing at you Nara. I saw that look on your face! I knew you didn't want us to volunteer but I guess the captain decided to not go with your request. I hope you're not heartbroken about it Nara!"

"I'm bursting at the seams sergeant..." I muttered as he continued to chuckle at my expense.

"Oh you're too much Nara. Sometimes I think your lack of motivation is what gets you in these situations in the first place! Try being enthusiastic for once and maybe the reverse will happen huh?"

"_What an ass. If this is the guy who says I should be sergeant one day, damn am I in trouble._"

"Oh shit! There they are!" One of the lead halftracks blurted out in the radio as we finally caught sight of our beleaguered friends. Craters, smoke, bodies, and bullets were all that we could see in the chaos. "Are those..."

"No way..."

"Holy shit! It's the ANBU! It's the ANBU Rangers!"

"Well I'll be deep fried and smothered in hot sauce...it is them! By the looks of it they're gettin' the shit kicked out of them! C'mon guys we gotta move!"

"Bravo Six this is Captain Kakashi Hatake of Fox Company. We have come to assist you since it seems you bit off more than you could chew. Please respond over."

"Sir?!? Sir is..._bzzz..._you? It's..._fzzzzh_...damn it! It's me Yugao Uzuki! I couldn't have..._kkshhhh_...for a better person t..._kshhh_...us out!"

The captain snickered over the voice traffic. "Always the gung-ho one huh Uzuki? All right then. We're comin' to bail you out. All quads and Jeep gunners! Get to the flanks of the Rangers and provide covering fire. It looks like just infantry with some halftracks. All anti-armor halftracks concentrate on their armor! 1st and 2nd Platoons, after making a pass or two, will dismount and reinforce the ANBU line. Let's get these assholes off their backs!"

The ANBU Rangers had positioned themselves near the decline of a grassy slope near a wood line that seemed to be pouring Soundies out left and right. True to their reputation, the Rangers suffered little casualties while stubbornly holding on to their ground and keeping the Soundies at bay. Given the number of the enemy however, they wouldn't have lasted forever.

"All right! I've been waiting for that the whole day! Tear 'em to shreds God damn it!" An anonymous voice emerged from the radio. It wasn't even a second later that the roars of the quad .50 caliber guns were heard through the entire plains. I caught a faint glimpse of some Soundies, true to the driver's words, being torn to shreds before they could get to the Rangers. One of the halftracks fitted with a 75mm cannon unloaded a round on an unsuspecting Sound truck, literally bisecting it before it exploded.

"Yeeha! This is more like it!" Another driver cheered as some more Soundies were cut down. The Jeeps were driving across the Sound lines, spraying fire into whoever they could find or see. They were acting like gangsters more than soldiers, but if the violence was towards the Sound we didn't give a shit.

"Akimichi, get that .30 cal prepped! Yamanaka, Nakamura, Toyama, and Sugiyama, get your weapons primed and ready! We're gonna be making a pass at the Sound!"

A few seconds later despite the bumpiness of the ride Choji was prepped and ready. "Ready to rock and roll sergeant!"

"Get ready!" The driver made a quick swerve to the right and then banked in on a hard left. "FIRE!"

"Temari get down!" I yelled as everyone on my side got low.

Our own halftrack was alive with the fury of the five of them, most notably Choji's machine gun. Rounds were smacking off the side of our truck but couldn't get themselves through. Not this time Soundies...not this time.

"Yeah!" Ino cheered as she emptied her magazine into the Soundies, doubtless hitting one of them. "You guys like that?" She slapped another magazine into her Carbine. "Here's some more you pricks!" It wasn't very often that Ino was able to get such an opportunity to take the fight to the Soundies instead of having to usually pull some poor wounded guy or girl out of the fight. "You see that one! I got 'im!"

"Great shootin' Ino!" Choji complimented in a typical attempt to score some brownie points with her as he finished firing a burst from his machine gun and quickly getting into another firing frenzy.

The newbies were relishing in their little baptism of fire. Little did they realize that it was just because of the sheer advantage we had over the Sound infantry. To me this little scrap we were having was only the tip of another iceberg, but then again who could say I was a glass-half-full kind of guy? The truck turned as Temari, Nazuka, Asano, Sarutobi, and I rose up as the rest got down and fired away. The constant bumping threw off my aim but I managed to clip a rifleman in the arm while Temari nailed one in the midsection, but no kill for her either. Sarutobi had less trouble with his Thompson spraying rounds everywhere.

"I got one! Yeah my first kill!" Nazuka cheered like a child winning a prize at a fair. "These fuckers ain't got nothing on me!"

"That's nice kid. Save the cheering for after ok?" Sarutobi quickly replied to keep his ego in check.

"2nd Platoon," Lee's voice barked, "prepare to dismount on my mark." The halftracks zoomed in right behind the pinned-down Rangers. "Dismount!" And as the trucks and Jeeps kept suppressive fire on the Soundies we bailed out and rushed quickly to the Ranger positions. Captain Hatake was right with us while the first sergeant watched over 3rd and 4th Platoon.

"Sir! Sir right here!" A purple-haired woman waved to the captain. It was that sergeant from the labor camp rescue mission.

"So they made you an LT now Uzuki?" Captain Hatake yelled over the zipping bullets as he and most of us from 2nd Platoon hugged the ground alongside the Rangers. "Well done, but it seems your newest assignment got ya in a pickle now didn't it? Hayate would be very pissed at you right now. Care to explain?"

Her face was filled with embarrassment. I recalled how she mentioned serving with the captain in the past and obviously he was someone she looked up to a lot. I'd be embarrassed to if I had just been promoted to an officer's slot and got my unit into a mess like this.

"Had a simple mission to gather some intelligence by intercepting a courier and its escort. At first it was easy as we ambushed them and made them as helpless as newborn babies. Boy, did we get some intelligence from those guys! Fucking Soundies spotted us afterwards and we've been on the run since. We thought we lost 'em but then they came outta the woodwork and swarmed us! It's already been a half-hour holding onto this patch of earth! If you had come any later we'd be worm food. We gotta get these documents to Major Shizune as soon as fucking possible!"

"First thing's first, we deal with the current problem. 1st Platoon, concentrate your fire into that wood line! 2nd Platoon, take out the pockets of Soundies around the halftracks!"

"Right! All right 2nd, don't give them one moment of reprieve! I want all anti-armor units on those halftracks!" Lee barked right after the captain gave the order.

"Private Tenten! Get on that halftrack shooting at the ANBU to the west! We'll cover." Sergeant Morino screamed. She loaded her Bazooka and dashed with Moegi and Sergeant Morino who acted as support for her so she wouldn't get clipped on the spot.

"In sight!" She stopped dead and took a knee. "Firing!" The rocket screamed its way down the field, parting the grass in two before it slammed into the side hull and nearly knocked it on its side. That was one more vehicle they couldn't use on the ANBU. Another vehicle spotted Tenten and nearly perforated her had it not been for Kankuro diving in and getting behind some cover with her. Sergeant Morino wasn't as fortunate as he got a grazing wound in the leg before hitting the dirt.

"You ok?" Kankuro asked in a frantic manner as he looked at her for any marks.

"Um, yeah...I'm ok. Thanks." She blushed slightly.

He grinned. "Great. I'd have to not have you be able to watch a master at work!" He swung around and aimed the Panzerschreck at the aforementioned halftrack. "Watch and learn Ms. Tenten! Firing!" His rocket left the tube spewing smoke and an acrid sulfur smell offensive to everyone, and careened up the small slope, nailing the MG gunner slot of the halftrack. The hood of the vehicle blew wide open as the Soundies inside bailed out in a panic. Five seconds later the whole thing blew up. "And that's how it's done!"

"Well played Mr. Kankuro, well played. I'm in your debt." She said winking to him.

He laughed. "No need to be missy. The only thing we need to be is in this little skirmish."

"Right."

"Heads up partner! We got a mess of Soundies coming in from the woods! Let's have some fun eh?" Temari yelled to me as if she was trying to make this a competition again. I caved into temptation.

"Fine then!" I yelled back as a stream of bullets hitting the ground in front of me caked dirt on my face. "You're on Temari!" I quickly took advantage of the attack's respite and polished off a shot at some poor schmuck who thought he could hit me with his MP40. "_That's one for me partner. Can you keep up as I go along?_" Another shot brought my score up to two as another fell to my precision with a rifle. To our chagrin the hooligans in the Jeeps and halftracks were taking most of the fun away from us. That soon changed as four more halftracks came into view to reinforce the Soundies.

"Oh shit guys! Hit the deck!" Naruto yelled as two of them started spouting rockets from their sides. They screamed right down on us, slamming the ground with enough force to split it in two. The first salvo landed right in front of us and just sent dirt flying everywhere but the second was closer, shrapnel flying everywhere as one of the Rangers to our surprise fell after three chunks went in his leg, stomach, and chest. Up until now we had thought of the ANBU Rangers as near super-humans but seeing one die right in front of us and seeing some more dead before we dismounted there gave us the sudden realization that they're just like us, fleshy and just as vulnerable to bullets and bombs. Shino's face was cut slightly by a small piece of metal as he roared in pain clutching his cheek. It was rare to see Shino is such agony but then again it must've hurt something fierce to get a piece of hot metal cutting your face, even if it could possibly be just a minor laceration. Poor guy...gets fucked up at Takigakure and it seems that God didn't wanna give him a respite. Hinata was there immediately to help him as he rolled around.

"Shino it's ok! It's ok! It's ju-just a b-b-bad cut. I'll g-get it fixed on th-the double!" She said in an effort to calm him down, even if she couldn't help the stuttering. She whipped out one of her smaller bandages and pressed it to his face to clean the blood off and stop it. I was stunned for a second, not sure as to why I decided to pay attention to what they were doing instead of trying to just defend my spot and make sure I didn't get just as hurt, or worse.

"C'mon quit gawking Shikamaru! We've still got enemies to kill!" Ino snorted to me as the Sound efforts doubled to overrun the Rangers. Taking Ino's consideration in account for once, I aimed carefully and pegged a lumbering machine gunner before he could deploy. Temari made short work of his assistant as she slumped to the ground right next to my kill.

"A force to be reckoned with..." I heard her mutter. I wondered if she was just talking about herself or perhaps the two of us as a team.

My mind wondered that if the Sound Nation was smaller than others, then how come so many were in its army? I mean there were still a significant amount of enemies here but of course I realized that wouldn't stop us. Dirt that flew from where a couple bullets hit the ground in front of me smacked me right in the face, bringing me out of my inner monologue and back into the fight. I should write myself a mental note to stop doing that crap. Our 75mm cannon halftracks caught sight of the first rocket vehicle and disposed of it with utter glee. The second rocket halftrack managed to reload and sent another salvo in our direction. I'm sure the gunner was panicky as they flew off in an undisciplined manner, some hitting the ground nowhere near us while one got lucky and knocked one of 3rd Platoon's Jeeps over, sending the gunner flying into the grass while the driver and passenger were rocked around. We were relieved to see them alive as some of the Rangers rushed to carry them to our positions. 1st Platoon rushed to the left flank to try and seal off any Sound maneuvers only to be answered by a well-disciplined stream of fire from the Soundies. One of their guys died instantly as a bullet struck him right in the temple, his body smacking flat on the grass like a plane hitting a bad landing. Another one got hit in the arm and fell down in agony as a medic sped over to get him out of the killing zone. It seemed that every time we upped the ante in weaponry those God damned Soundies were there to even the odds.

"Get that God damned halftrack out of commission now! If they get another salvo in we're in fucking trouble!" The first sergeant screamed to anyone who could hear. The rocket halftrack itself was moving closer to try and get its MG42 in range. That was a big mistake as Kankuro fired a rocket right at it. Sadly his rocket went too low and hit the ground right in front of it, only peppering it with rocks, dirt, and small chunks of metal.

"Damn it I missed!"

"Thought you said you knew how it was done!" Tenten added mockingly.

"Aw shut up! I was getting shot at! It was distracting!"

"Sure...right...nice excuse there pal!" She continued with the teasing even if we were actually getting shot at from all directions. A couple Soundies emerged from the top wielding Panzerfausts and quickly fired them off. One slammed right into a makeshift position 1st Platoon had set up, sending one soldier flipping through the air and landed with a thud that most likely broke every bone in his body. The other flew backwards about ten feet and crashing into two more of her comrades. They quickly helped her come to and get back to shooting at the Sound infantry. 4th Platoon quickly assisted Kankuro's beginning efforts by launching two simultaneous Bazooka rounds right into the foolish halftrack's underbelly. A few Sound soldiers flew off the truck bed as some tires and chunks blew right off the vehicle. That took care of that asshole.

"Mortars!" Shino screamed out as the distinct drone of mortar shells were heard overhead. The first few of them landed again in front of us. To our fortune we were moving around so much it was harder for them to get a bead on us.

"I spotted one team!" I announced as I saw them right below a small slope, the team thinking they were safe at that distance. I laughed at the irony of it all. The farther distance would be their downfall as they played right into my hands and my specialty. "Hey Temari! Open season on all mortar teams!" I quickly pointed to the direction of the Soundies.

She snickered as she took aim and through my scope I saw one go down from a headshot. I provided the assist with a fresh kill only two seconds after the first. The third one tried scrambling for cover as Temari pulled the trigger. She missed but I came through on the rebound and nailed the bastard right in the midsection.

"That's one team down sergeant!" I yelled to Sarutobi who let Sergeant Yamato know we were doing our part. Meanwhile one of the quad-gun halftracks must've spotted another mortar team as four barrels of fury went hot and sent speedy, leaden death towards whoever was unlucky enough to receive it. He quickly crawled to the platoon sergeant who was with Sasuke. After a brief exchange of words that I could not make out, he crawled right back to me.

"Got a whole platoon of Soundies headed our way Nara! The captain says we're gonna hold them off here and get LT Uzuki and her intel reports outta here! We need people for a four-Jeep convoy to get back to the Garrison HQ and guess what?"

"Oh no..."

"You're going! Isn't that gonna be fun? Take Yamanaka, Toyama, and Temari while I'll handle Akimichi and the newbies. The longer that Ranger LT stays here the quicker she might end up dead so get to it!"

I huffed in agitation. "Yes sergeant. Ino! Temari! Toyama! C'mon let's get moving! Get in the Jeeps and I don't care which ones you pick!"

We dashed towards the prepped Jeeps as I saw others from the platoon hop on. I ran towards the lead one where LT Uzuki was already sitting. I took the passenger seat while, much to my personal satisfaction, Temari hopped in the rear where the ANBU LT was sitting. I could've called shotgun in front of her to be a dick but given the situation, dickery as humor wouldn't have really fit well. I had finished reloading my Springfield for those "just in case" moments. Naruto and Konohamaru took the liberty of hopping on the second Jeep as the gunner prepped his .30 cal. Ino had hopped on the third Jeep where LT Uzuki had one of her wounded comrades sitting already bandaged up. Figures Ino could keep track of the guy. Toyama decided to take the rear Jeep which I guess worked so that everyone from 3rd squad was somewhat dispersed barring Temari and I.

"Comin' along for the ride bossy woman?" I asked as I turned around to see her reloading her rifle.

"Oh to see your face driving at breakneck speeds through God-awful terrain? Wouldn't miss this for the world!"

"Hey guys! I hope I'm not too late to join the party!" A familiar voice said as I turned to see Kiba jumping right into the driver seat, hands already gripping the wheel.

"Kiba? You're gonna be the driver?" I was astonished. As much as I enjoyed the guy's company I felt a slight sense of unease knowing he was behind the steering wheel.

"Are you kiddin'? Hell I'm one of the best drivers this whole platoon's got! Trust me!"

"Aren't you the handsome, dashing young buck taking the wheel there eh private? However, for your sake private you better be right and know where you're going!" The LT grumbled behind us. Kiba chuckled nervously as he got the engine started up. "Sergeant Ito...you're in charge while I'm gone!"

"Roger that ma'am! C'mon Rangers...Momma LT's goin' away for a little while but like the good kids we are we'll make her proud and do what Rangers do best right? We'll save a Soundie souvenir for ya ma'am!"

The ANBU around him cheered as some of them managed to wave LT Uzuki off. I had to admit for such an impulsive and gung-ho bunch they were certainly dedicated to each other to the core. It was something a lot of us in the Leaf Army could learn from.

A lucky mortar shell landed right at the side of the convoy, our hearts nearly skipping a beat as shrapnel peppered the sides of the cars. "Enough wasting time...let's get the fuck outta here...NOW!"

"Yes ma'am!" Kiba replied as he hit the gas and we endured the bumpiness of the ride until we hit the dirt roads. We turned and watched the struggle continue as we whittled the Sound attackers away bit by bit but not without a fierce show of stubbornness on their behalf.

Five minutes had passed since we bailed from the skirmish area with the Soundies. The road felt like it was going generally straight but for some reason the terrain didn't seem to register with us like it did when we were in the halftracks.

"Hey it just dawned on me, anyone got a map?" Temari yelled as we zoomed down the dirt road. She was right. I don't think a whole lot of us took the time to remember how to get back. I fumbled through the glove compartment and some other stacks of tied-down paper. I smiled as I found what I believed to be a map of the overall area in a span of fifty to sixty kilometers. The dead ringer was the title "_Grass Nation Overlay/Map EC-IV_"

"Ah ha! Here it is! Just in the nick of time too!" I said struggling against the wind to open it up and not have it blow away.

"So Master Navigator," Temari muttered sarcastically, "where to now?"

I turned to her and the LT. Temari stared at me as if she was expecting my genius to work instantaneously while the Ranger just shrugged. Figures women put the entire burden on your shoulders, have nothing constructive to offer, and then rub it in your face when they have to relieve even a modicum of it off of you when you've exhausted your options.

"Don't look at me corporal. I never went down this road!"

"All right then." I did my best to concentrate on the spider web of small road symbols in this area. Luckily LT Uzuki provided the coordinates of where they were so I spotted it on the map. Using my best judgment I analyzed it and found what road we were on. To my chagrin I also noticed that not a damn thing was marked on the map, so we were shooting in the dark as far as guessing where the HQ was. "Shit. Figures the dumbasses didn't mark anything on the damn map except for the title page!"

"Well you're smart Shikamaru," Temari jabbed, "so you can figure it out!"

"Easier said than done Temari!" Just my luck. First I get dragged into a dicey skirmish, second I get mocked by Sarutobi...again, and third I'm stuck in a Jeep with an overzealous Ranger lieutenant, an overconfident private as a driver, and of course Little Miss Troublesome playing backseat driver and critic much to my irritation.

"Pfft! Maps! What a waste of time and effort! A real driver doesn't need maps to figure out where he's going." Kiba chortled in arrogance.

"Oh yeah dog boy? If you're such a 'real' driver how do you know where you're going?"

"Instinct my good man! Pure and simple...instinct. I mean, not to toot my own horn or anything, but you're talkin' to a natural. I guess some have it and some just don't." Why did it not surprise me to hear Kiba of all people talk about instinct as his modus operandi?

"Well put your 'instinct' to good use and get us to the HQ ASAP! We got a fork in the road comin' up and I hope you know where we're heading!"

"No sweat Shikamaru!" Despite his aura of confidence I could see a slight twinge of nervousness in his face as the fork got closer and closer. There was a sign with two arrows but the writing on them was unreadable from the distance we were at and looked to scratched up for us to even read passing by it. "Shit this is easy! Ya figure right will only take us even more south so we'll hit left!" He stuck his hand out and signaled to the rest of the convoy that we would be bearing left at the fork. The other drivers gave him the ok as they quickly followed suit. I seriously hoped that Kiba was right with his presumptions and his "instinct" as he so eloquently put it.

"So ma'am, what's the deal with getting back to Major Shizune? That is, if you don't mind me asking ma'am. All I heard was something about some intel or whatever you and the Rangers had to get." I gave in to my curiosity and asked her.

"Normally I wouldn't bother letting privates and ever a corporal that wasn't in my outfit in on the dirty little secrets, but we got ourselves a hum-dinger of a finding! We got reports, sighting, and even movement routes of an elite Akatsuki Panzer group!"

"Elite Akatsuki Panzer group ma'am?" Kiba asked catching wind of our little chat.

"Yeah! They're called the Akatsuki Panzer Lehr. One of the toughest armor groups those fucking Soundies have got in their arsenal! These guys have torn a lot of our armor to shreds before while only suffering very few losses. The Water Army tried making an incursion a month before with an armored division but was obliterated. Rumor has it that its led by a freakish man that looks like a guy had intimate relations with a shark and then had a love child. Check this shit out!"

From the pile of stolen intelligence she pulled out a photo of the tank commanders and their crews. In the center was a tall figure dressed in a deathly black uniform, his teeth almost looking triangular despite the poor quality of the photo, and a look of pure sadism in his eyes. I could certainly see how he'd be intimidating to commanders going up against him. Like the Akatsuki themselves, I'm sure this "Panzer Lehr" was certainly a force to be reckoned with.

"Jesus I hope we don't run into that!" I commented even if the possibility of offending someone as motivated and dedicated as LT Uzuki existed. "Does this Panzer Lehr commander have a name ma'am?"

"No idea corporal. I'm sure the brass might have some information on him but I really wasn't able to stop and get an interview out of the Akatsuki sum'bitch."

"All right ma'am."

"What about your air power lieutenant?" Temari asked, finally joining the inquiry. "I'm sure they'd be more than able to take these tanks out."

"Wait a second, who in the fuck are you and why would I give information to some Sand fighter?" She barked much to Temari's offense.

"Ma'am, it's ok. Her name's Temari and she's with me. You can trust her with your information. She won't say a thing...I know that for a fact and you have my word ma'am." I answered getting an appreciative smile from Temari and a huff from LT Uzuki. I was glad I could be that diplomatic otherwise I could end up pissing one of them off or even both and hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, especially if one was an ANBU Ranger officer and the other happened to be your paramour.

"Ok fine. You asked about air power? Well first off we have little clue as to where the Soundies put their AA capabilities and second we don't even have a clue as to where they were staging the Akatsuki Panzer Lehr until now. With this we should have a general idea as to where they are!"

"Could it be possible ma'am," I jumped in again, "that they might already be on the move or somewhere other than we think they could be?"

"Good thinking corporal. I'll bring that up with Major Shizune."

Deception was a nifty tool in war and Lord knew the Soundies had it in spades. Where the massive, blunt hammer of the Leaf Army came in to smash whatever the Soundies threw at them, the Sound Army could sometimes be those small, precise daggers that'd jab a unit right in the side and watch it bleed before taking action again. A Panzer ambush here, a storm trooper counterattack there, little bits and pieces of Sound ingenuity emerged become the absolute bane of our existence. Fortunately Fox Company was spared from most of the tricks the Sound used on Konoha and the Water forces, but that didn't mean we were impervious to it. Nah, instead of dirty tricks Fox Company always got shafted with taking the brunt of the Sound Army head-on. Pick your poison I guess...

I turned back to watch the road. My mind, thanks to my stupid inquiring, became awash with apprehensiveness and tension. So once again some big road block gets in the way of what should be a simple run through this country. Two and a half months ago it was that fucking city Takigakure and now some bogeyman Akatsuki armored division is gonna get the brass shitting in their pants. I hate to sound like a broken record, but damn is this troublesome or what? On a semi-related note, once again the terrain became less and less familiar as I turned to Kiba who, in a rare display of anxiety, had a look on his face that even he wasn't completely sure of where we were.

"Private do you have any idea where we are going?" LT Uzuki asked angrily.

"Um ma'am, I have a good idea, but for some reason nothing seems to be clicking."

"That's just fucking perfect. Corporal, gimme that map!" I handed the map off to her as she scanned it furiously trying to get a bead on our current location. "Gimme that hand mic as well and set the frequency to 800!" I turned the dials while giving the Ranger the receiver/transmitter. "Fox Company, come in this is Bravo Six. We need the coordinates to the Garrison HQ. Please provide the coordinates to the Garrison HQ, over."

The radio only gave the quiet hiss of static.

"Sergeant Ito, this is Bravo Six, come in over! We are at location Kilo Zulu 336461 and are trying to reach HQ. Please provide coordinate to HQ over."

Once again all we got was static.

"For the love of fucking Christ! Doesn't any piece of fucking equipment work in this God damned army?!?" She yelled in frustration. Like Temari, she seemed as scary as my mother and at nearly half the age.

"Just keep heading eastward Kiba. We'll be bound to hit something." I got a look of bewilderment from Temari. "Well I know it sounds half-assed but do you have a better idea?" We were lost all right as everyone in the Jeeps behind us was scanning the areas for two things, some sort of clue to let us know we were on the right road and of course the Soundies. The last thing we needed was those shady fuckers trying to pick us off from the trees or tall grass.

"Damn it...not a damn thing looks familiar." Temari lamented. "Figures none of us pay any attention to the roadways while we're gawking at the countryside. That's a real pity isn't it?"

"Yeah I'll say partner...certainly a drag." A few houses came up in our sights. Hell it wasn't much but it looked like some form of civilization.

"Hey...you see that up there? I coulda sworn I saw something." Kiba asked aloud as he must've seen someone or something move.

"Private what are you talking about?" The LT asked Kiba. "Wait a second, you're right. We got possible contacts up ahead."

Kiba signaled to the drivers behind us to slow down. Some figures were emerging from the house closest to the road but we couldn't make out who they were.

"Ya think maybe they know how to get to the HQ?" He asked us innocently.

"Gimme one second Kiba." I replied as I quickly took a gander through my scope. Right then and there a huge lump in my throat emerged as if someone stuffed an apple down it or something. "Um, Kiba...Temari...ma'am...I don't think we should be asking these guys for directions...not at all."

"Um, why do you say that Shikamaru?" He asked in reply.

"Oh shit..." Temari muttered.

"Well...it's probably nothing, but those guys you're talking about?" The second I said that the windshield cracked from a decently placed rifle round as the cracks spidered off into smaller cracks while our Jeep still sped towards them, our newly found friends screaming for us to halt like they were traffic cops or something. "I think that answers your question Kiba! SOUNDIES!"

"Oh fuck me!" Kiba yelled out loud.

"We'll let some random girl take care of that another day private! They're setting up a God damn roadblock! They're gonna try and smoke us by trapping us!"

"Could we fight them off ma'am?" Kiba asked her.

"No dice. If we try and fight them we'll give ourselves away and we don't know what we're up against. Hey private, what does your instinct tell you right now?"

"Well ma'am, it's either fight or flight...so guess what? Hang on for dear life!"

"Wait Kiba...what're you doing?"

His foot slammed the pedal of the Jeep as the bullets hit the ground around us. LT Uzuki slapped a fresh clip into her Thompson and cocked the handle. The screams of the Sound guards were more frantic and their fires increased, a wooden beam fence being erected right in front of the road.

"Kiba...what're you doing?!?"

"Like I said...hold on! It's gonna get real bumpy real quick!"

"Oh shit...Temari hold on tight!" She clutched the handle of the door as tightly as she could. "Oh shit...oh shit...oh shit..." I kept muttering to myself as we were zooming ever so closer to their barrier.

"Brace yourselves!"

"OH SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!"


	22. Chapter 22

"OH SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!"  
There are times in a person's life, especially in situations where it could mean certain and untimely death, that occur when the world seems to slow down in front of him or her, they can hear their own heartbeat, and their life flashes before their eyes. You try and focus on what's going on in your head but you're too caught up in the moment and all you have is a wide open mouth and enough sweat to fill a bucket. This was no exception. Everything felt like it went slow motion the second before impact, as if time itself was taking a cigarette break. Temari was just crouching down gripping her seat as tight as she could while LT Uzuki did the same. Kiba's eyes were flared with the sudden adrenaline rush and I swore I could've caught the face of the closest Soundie to us. His eyes were wide with surprise and bewilderment, as if he was caught unawares by Kiba's rash decision. I felt and heard the rhythmic beat of my heart and my intense breathing. I felt my hands grip so tightly to the Jeep they might as well have been attached to them. Then time decided to speed itself right back up. A hard thud rocked us all in the Jeep but Kiba managed to smash through the wood and the Sound roadblock. The other Jeeps quickly followed suit and kept the Soundies down with their gunfire. Kiba swerved left and right, rocking us all side to side, but a few seconds later we had stability. It was amazing...we could've been stopped dead in our tracks from the roadblock and then shot to pieces but somehow, either by Kiba's driving or the grace of a higher power, we had broken through and without a scratch.  
"Yee haw! Now this is some good drivin'!"  
I turned to him. "Jesus H. Christ Kiba! Next time you're gonna do something like that let us all know ahead of time ok?"  
"No need to thank me Shikamaru. We're not done yet!"  
"Holy shit private! That was one for the record books!" LT Uzuki yelled over the gunfire.  
"I think I'm gonna be sick..." Temari muttered.  
"Well for God's sake Sand fighter don't boot near me! We got the rest of the convoy behind us...from what I see no one's down."  
"That's good ma'am! They better keep up!"  
Kiba kept swerving left and right to avoid either the Soundies or all the various sorts of lead they were trying to plug us with. I turned to see Ino clutching the top of her head with one hand and grabbing on the door handle for dear life with the other.  
"You have an idea how to get us out private?" The LT asked him the question that was without a doubt on everyone's mind. The spatter of bullets hit the rear of our car but luckily none of them managed to find their way inside. It was something short of a miracle that we didn't go flying through the windshield as Kiba went almost kamikaze with the Jeep. His foot was nevertheless still pressing the pedal to the floor as the others were playing speed demon just like him.  
"I'm workin' on it ma'am. Can you get a glimpse of the map?"  
"I thought you said you didn't need a map!" I yelled at him.  
"Oh yeah! Sorry!"  
"You're such an asshole Kiba!"  
"I may be one right now but you need me to get you all outta here!"  
"Fine! Just keep driving!"  
He took a hard right down a road that led through a few more houses. The sharp cracks of fire came out of some of the windows as the ground around us. LT Uzuki and Temari were trying in noble fashion to return fire on the wooden houses but I doubted they'd hit anything.  
"FIRE! GET FIRE IN THOSE WINDOWS!" I screamed to the other Jeeps particularly the gunners, though like with Temari and the LT's effectiveness in shooting I doubted I was heard by them. Of course when you're being shot at from two sides it doesn't take a whole lot of ordering to get the message to return fire. Each gunner took a side and the distinctive chugging of the .30 cal gun woke the whole neighborhood up. We hoped there were no civilians inside but then again we couldn't really be meticulous blazing down dirt roads being shot at. Naruto took it upon himself to expend a clip of his B.A.R. ammunition on a group of Soundies. From the looks of it he only nailed one in the leg but a hit is a hit. The kid can hit a glass bottle from a distance as I saw a while back but get him on a moving vehicle and it's spray and pray.  
"Shit...another fork comin' up! Turn left! Turn left!" Temari was yelling to Kiba.  
"No turn right!" the LT said in disagreement.  
"Right will just get us more lost! TURN LEFT!"  
How troublesome was it to hear two women arguing during a high stakes, high speed getaway? I mean seriously...not even Kiba deserved that.  
"NO RIGHT!"  
"LEFT!"  
"RIGHT!"  
"LEFT!"  
"AHHHHH! WILL YOU LADIES PLEASE SHUT UP?!? SORRY MA'AM AND TEMARI BUT I'M A LITTLE FUCKIN' BUSY HERE!" He snapped to the two of them which surprisingly shut them up. Alas I had no idea who Kiba should've been more afraid of, the ever-so impulsively violent Temari or LT Uzuki who just so happened to be in an ANBU Ranger platoon, but then again now was not a time to start dishing out corporal punishment. "AH HELL I'M HEADING LEFT!" Temari let out a slight grin hearing Kiba take her advice and bang a rather hard left. Our friends followed suit. The ground was still getting scarred up from our Sound friends we so quickly and eloquently said goodbye to.

The next stretch of road was right into a small patch of woods, the trees shading us and hopefully concealing our movement from any pesky Sound reconnaissance planes.  
"Well this is slightly better..." Temari muttered.  
"So far so good there private. Just keep driving! I'm gonna make another attempt to contact someone." LT Uzuki said to Kiba as she grabbed the radio transmitter and receiver again. "Fox Company, this is Baker Six, requesting status report. We are lost and just ran through a Sound roadblock and are trying to find Garrison HQ over!"  
We finally got a response but it was more like garbled jibberish.  
"Fox Company, this is Baker Six, repeat that over!"  
The response was worse than before since now all we got was loud radio static.  
"Damn it! Ya figured a fucking land of mostly plains and trees would have great radio reception but boy what a dumbass assumption to make huh?" She whined but we made no reply. "Keep going private!"  
"Sorry about before ma'am!"  
"No worries. You did what I'd do in such a stressful situation...just keep driving and keep us alive and I won't get physical on your ass!"  
"Yes ma'am!"  
Kiba zoomed through the wooden path for about another minute. We noticed some strange objects in the distance on a huge flat area to our left but no Soundies in our immediate vicinity. A large, straight dirt path was plowed right in the middle that stretched for a good distance. We wanted to take a guess what those big things were but we weren't sure or we just didn't wanna know. If I had a hazard to guess they were about a half to a full kilometer away.  
"Hey you see those things out there ma'am?" I asked.  
"Yeah I do…and I have a bad feeling about it. Can either you or the Sand fighter take a look so we can confirm?"  
"Yes ma'am. Temari tell me what you can see. I'll look as well." I adjusted my scope to focus on the objects in the distance. There were about twelve of them with people running around. When the objects finally came into focus, it was hard believing what I saw.  
"Oh crap…Sound Luftwaffe planes!" I announced.  
"WHAT?!? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?" LT Uzuki asked dumbfounded. I hated to admit but she was right. It was certainly a rarity, and certainly most frightening rarity to say the least, seeing the Sound Luftwaffe so close to where we thought our territory was. They looked like fighter-bombers or interceptor planes of some sort, planes that were intended to put some holes in our air offensives or act a rather nasty aggressor for our land operations, which of course included us in Fox Company. Tow trucks and maintenance crews were swarming around them trying to get them prepped for whatever mission they were intended for. They were a frightening sight as I bet the Soundies were loading them up with their armaments and heavy bombs, ready to dispense death in sizable doses. Ya gotta love the Soundies. They always kept your heart beating with some new toy or some new idea to try to kill you with.  
"Shit…I had thought our Air Corps boys would've taken care of the lot of them by now!" Kiba whined.  
"Well apparently not if they're right there!" I snapped right back.  
"This isn't good. If we don't get what we see to Major Shizune and the rest of HQ our boys will be royally fucked in the very near future!"  
The LT was right. This makeshift airfield the Soundies made looked like they hastily made it and were ready for some little scheme they cooked up to make our lives slightly more miserable. Funny how things you wished you avoided in the first place might turn out to be blessings in disguise. If we had not rescued the ANBU Rangers, gotten lost trying to get to HQ, run through the Sound roadblocks, and gotten ourselves in a high-speed escape, then perhaps we'd have never seen this new development. It killed me inside because as troublesome as this whole affair was, things like these always seem to have some sort of benefit…that is if you can actually survive such things.  
"We're doin' the best we can ma'am. I'll try an' get us all out so please trust me." Kiba said.  
"Hey I think I see a clearing!" Temari said pointing to the end of the wood line.  
"Let's just hope it doesn't lead to more Soundies. I mean they already got word of this little convoy passing through, so hopefully they decided to just let us go on our way." I said, and not a moment too soon.   
"What the hell are those?" Kiba asked.  
"Ah shit...something I didn't see coming this time."

It seems that we caused quite a stir as they had just sent a couple vehicles, from what I could see two trucks and a couple Kübelwagens. It seems that they had been driving alongside us and around the wooden trails without us even really picking them up. They were going to try and flank us from the sides like the sneaky bastards they were. I assumed that they thought we caught wind of their makeshift airstrip and would prefer that the Leaf commanders not get word of it.  
"Oh Hell's Bells...ya just had to open your mouth didn't you corporal?" LT Uzuki yelled at me.  
"Sorry ma'am! Didn't think they'd have the gusto to go after us. I was wrong!"  
The three vehicles were packed with Soundies armed to the teeth. This was gonna be ugly. They had already started the fight for us after hearing the pings of metal and dirt on the Jeep.  
"Well don't just sit there with your thumbs up your asses! Return fire!" the Ranger screamed right to me and Temari. She blazed her submachine gun right into an oncoming Kübelwagen but didn't do much.  
"She's got a good point Temari. Let's get them off our backs! Kiba just keep driving the way you are and hope the ladies and gents behind us get a bead on what you're pulling. Aim straight and aim carefully. We can't waste shots trying to go right to the noggin!" I told Temari as we sheltered ourselves from the increasing fires of the Sound. "Let's just hit what we can...drivers first!"  
"Right Shikamaru, and if we can't hit them worth a shit then what?"  
"I dunno...aim for the tires?"  
She just looked at me for a brief second with a look similar to Sarutobi's "what the fuck" mug. She then realized that there really wasn't a whole lot we could do aside from what I suggested. Since our pursuing friends decided to start the fun for us, we figured it'd only be nice to return the favor. The gunner in Toyama's Jeep had no trouble chugging away with the .30 cal and completely laid waste to one of the Kübelwagens as smoke billowed from its engines and it grinded to a halt. Some lucky Soundie stumbled out as the rest looked perforated. He tried raising his rifle but then fell flat on his stomach. It was one shot he couldn't get off this time. Our cheers went to fears again as it seemed another Kübelwagen was there to take its place. It was four versus four again. One of the Soundies in a truck had an Panzerfaust aimed right at us.  
"Kiba! Evasive action now! Rocket!" I yelled in a panic.  
"I'm on it!" He swerved and hit the brakes as the Sound soldier fired. The rocket zoomed right in front of us and sprayed dirt and rock all over the place including us. With the anti-tank threat gone for now he continued driving as Ino's Jeep got right to the side of us.  
"Damn Kiba I was somewhat wrong about you being an idiot with that 'instinct' shit and driving!"  
"I told ya I'm a fuckin' natural! These amateur assholes have nothing on me!"  
The gunner in Ino's Jeep got nailed in the shoulder by one of the riflemen in the same truck that tried to blow us up. It was lucky for the bastard he didn't fly right off and onto the road but Ino managed to pull him down to where she was sitting. I figured it'd be rather difficult to try and treat him but she tried God bless her. The gunfire from the truck continued to harass us and Ino's group as she was attempting to apply a dressing. Tracer rounds flew right over her head and were giving her no peace. I could've sworn I saw her face turn blood red and scream something along the lines of "Fuck this!" To my amazement she slid the wounded gunner into her seat as she wobbily tried to get in the gunners position, holding on to the pole and charging handle of the machine gun. She pulled with all her might to cock the gun and held onto the handle.  
"Holy shit...Temari get a load at this!" I screamed while trying to point out Ino. Sure it looked childish making note of a ridiculous thing like Ino's attempt at bravery while we were being shot at but I couldn't help it.  
"All the more power to her partner! Let's see if she can help us out!"  
"Hopefully she learned a thing or two from Choji!" I figured she being near him from time to time and even helping him bear his ammunition would've taught the little sprite a thing or two about using machine guns.  
Sure enough, when she had gotten her footing and bearings on the Sound truck, a fierce look took over her as she pulled the trigger causing the first loud burst of shots to scatter all around while it jerked her around worse than this one time back in Konoha on a roller coaster, much to Choji's, Naruto's, and my delight. I had to give her credit though as she screamed in frustration, concentrating and letting fly the gun on the Sound truck filling it with about twenty holes and doubtless killing a good portion of them.  
"_Damn wait'll Choji sees this!_" I thought to myself as I saw her man that machine gun with all the strength she thought she could muster. Hell if the big lug had a crush on her now he'd be head over heels with her doing this. I was impressed myself.  
"Way to go Ino!" I yelled to her with a verbal seal of approval. She glanced at me for a second and smirked. First time I've given her some words of encouragement in a while I'll say.  
"That good to see but we're not outta the woods yet!" LT Uzuki interjected. "Get these fuckers off our backs and then we can start throwing compliments!"  
The Sound vehicles had doubled their efforts to try and stop us and/or run us off the road. The truck that Ino had lit up decided to get up close and personal turning into us in a fishtail attempt. Ino and the other gunner let loose another burst from the machine guns but it had little impact on the truck. Toyama, Naruto, and the others were concentrating on the Kübelwagens as another one of us got hit in the arm from a submachine gunner, most likely taking another one of us out of the fight. Toyama nailed two of the tires on a Kübelwagen as it spun out of control, landing into a ditch and flipping over. Whether or not the Soundies survived from that was not a real pressing matter but even if they did they'd be too far away and fucked up to do anything now. Meanwhile the truck continued to harass us, slamming into our side as Kiba frantically jerked the wheel around to regain control.  
"God damn it! This asshole won't quit!" He moaned as we rocked around the Jeep again when the Sound truck driver slammed into us again. He was right. This fucker had the aggression of my mother after a few drinks and the defiance of Choji when the cooks tell him he's had enough. A wounded rifleman in the back pulled himself up and tried to get a shot off but I managed to pull a well-aimed shot off and it was lights out for him permanently.  
"Private hit the gas! I'll dispatch this prick!" The LT barked to him. He slammed his foot on the gas pedal again as we pulled ahead, the truck doing his best to catch up. She whipped out one of her pineapple grenades, pulled the pin and held the grenade spoon. "Hey ya Sound schmuck! To you, from me...with a little fuckin' love!" She yelled as she let go of the spoon and screamed two second later, "FIRE IN THE HOLE!"  
"Temari get down!" I yelled as I held her head down with my hand while doing my best to cover my own. A second later a massive thump shook the truck as the grenade exploded underneath the truck and launched it off the side as it exploded into pieces, hot metal and flaming rubber bits spattering the ground near us. Her gamble worked perfectly as she timed the grenade just right when she hucked it at the Soundies.  
"HA!" Kiba roared. "Do ya think that was a little excessive ma'am with the grenade and all?"  
The biggest shit-eating grin was on her face. "I'm sorry private. I think you mistook me for someone who gives a shit! I'm a God damn Ranger boy! We eat bullets and shit gunpowder, we kill fuckin' Soundies, this is what we do!" She blasted out like she was back with her platoon. Naruto was right about the ANBU Rangers. They definitely take things to the next level.  
The Kübelwagens and other truck doubled their efforts and started blasting away. One of Kiba's sideview mirrors instantly disappeared as a couple bullets made short work of us, but better it than us. Thanks to Kiba and the other drivers we've dodged most of the Sound bullets save for some chassis damage and a couple wounded. Ino concentrated on the nearest Kübelwagen and managed to knock one of its rear tires out as it spun out of control and veered off into a huge farming plain and stopped moving. That was another assailant who wouldn't get past us. I had to admit the Kübelwagens were a bigger pain than the trucks given how fast and maneuverable they were compared to our Jeeps. However we finally got the numerical advantage with four of us against a Kübelwagen and a truck. The Kübelwagen sped right up behind Naruto's Jeep and rammed it, rocking them around while trying to shoot at them in the process. A bullet scraped the driver in the shoulder as he yelped in pain. True to a soldier's courage though, the guy clutched his shoulder while managing to hold on to the wheel. Naruto and Konohamaru fired straight through the window of the Soundie vehicle, nailing the driver and passenger with I'd bet ten bullets a person. It careened off into a small ditch throwing the other two Soundies off right into the grass. The truck, after Ino and the other machine gunner poured some rounds into it like they did the other one, decided to cut its losses, its engine was smoking furiously and dramatically slowed down. In the distance the surviving Soundies bailed out and ran towards the ditch as the front of the truck caught fire. We didn't bother to look back to see if it had exploded...we had dealt with enough of that already.

"Holy shit! Another close one guys!" Kiba said as he exhaled deeply. I'm surprised he didn't wet himself after that last tangle with the Soundies.  
"Hey look! I see some more buildings! Ya think some Leaf guys might be there for a change?" Temari pondered.  
"Only one way to find out. Keep on driving private!"  
"Yes ma'am!"  
I took a quick glance through my scope at the town and tried to get any movement. Though I did not make any verbal complaints aloud, Kiba's driving was fucking up my vision. Still...I couldn't get a solid sight on anything big. For that matter I couldn't see the Soundies at all. Either this town was deserted or the Soundies were hiding themselves really, really well. I mean we couldn't get a view of anything of the rooftops of the buildings or inside the buildings given the speed we were traveling at and the flat terrain we were driving on.  
"Ya see anything partner?" Temari asked me.  
"Ah shit I got nothing."  
"I dunno guys...I got a funny feeling."  
"Some more of that driver's 'instinct' kicking in there Kiba? Or this time is it that mutt of yours Akamaru and his doggy ways gettin' in yer skull?" I joked to him.  
"Hey shut up! No man I'm serious."  
Funny he should mention that. From the corner of my eye and through my scope I thought I saw a flash of light, like light reflecting off of glass. I gulped.  
"Oh shit!" I screamed as another bullet tore through the Jeep's windshield, shattering it into pieces. The wind flew in our faces as another bullet came screamed and slammed right into the top of the windshield frame.  
"Fuck! Now they bring the snipers!" the LT moaned as a bullet deflected off of Ino's machine gun mount and nearly went right through the meaty chunk of her thigh. Talk about luck huh? These Sound jerks just wouldn't quit. I mean their determination was admirable but for God's sake enough already!  
"Out of one frying pan and right into another! Jesus, if this is how it's goin' I can't fuckin' wait until the fire comes!" Kiba screamed as he started taking evasive action to get the snipers off aim. The other Jeeps followed suit and began swerving all around in an attempt to make the Sound riflemen miss completely. One bullet tore right into the front of Toyama's Jeep but luckily missed the engine. Had it struck the guts of the car they'd be all over the place in pieces by now. The tires of the Jeep squealed as Kiba rocked Temari, the ANBU LT, and I from side to side as bullet continued to spatter the ground around us.  
"We gotta spot these assholes now otherwise we're dead!" The LT barked.  
"Leave it to me an' Temari ma'am!" I replied. "Temari, check out the left side and I'll check the right!"  
She nodded as she clutched her rifle with all her might and stared down her scope whilst I did the same. It was already hard to see with the dust from the Jeeps and the enemy fire, but jerking around from the erratic but necessary driving was like rubbing salt in the wound. I caught a faint glimpse of one in the somewhat thick foliage of a tree in between two of the houses. I also managed to spot another in a two-story building shifting himself left and right trying to get a bead on one of up. I took a potshot knowing full well I'd probably miss but at least that'd let him know he was a target just as much as we were targets to him.  
"Temari you see anything?"  
"I spotted one on the rooftop of the second building to the right and another by the stone wall!"  
"INO!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as her Jeep came right behind us. "AIM FOR THE BIG TREE IN BETWEEN THE SECOND AND THIRD HOUSES, AND THE FIRST BUILDING, SECOND FLOOR!" I hoped she heard everything as she just nodded and swerved the gun towards that general direction. A second later she let loose surprisingly controlled bursts into the windows of the building and right into that tree. I took a look through my rifle to see the tree sniper fall to the ground, his body riddled with bullets. "_Well done Ino...that's being badass for a change!_" As for the second sniper I couldn't see if he was disposed of, but Ino wasn't taking any chances as she fires more .30 cal bursts into the windows as we got closer and closer. Meanwhile the other gunner was pouring his lead into the right side buildings in an effort to keep those Soundies down as we tried to fly through.  
"Ya think we got 'em guys?" Temari pondered. I looked around and froze as several Panzerschreck-wielding Soundies emerged from the rooftops. Temari gulped loudly.  
"Oh shit..." Kiba muttered as he unfortunately caught sight of what I saw.  
"OH FUCKING HELL! PANZERSCHRECKS! KIBA GET DRIVING NOW!" I screamed so loud I could've sworn my lungs were about to come out of my mouth. LT Uzuki fired a burst of rounds from her Thompson right as one of the Panzerschreck soldiers fired. The Soundie fell over backwards while holding his launcher, the rocket flying off course and exploding on the ground about forty feet away from us. The vibration was awful on us as another flew right above our heads, literally five feet above us, and slammed into the stone wall near the entrance to the town. Stone chunks flew all over the place, one nailing me right in the arm and stinging like hell. Temari yelped in pain as one of the stone chunks must've struck her as well.  
"Temari! Are you ok?"  
"Ah fuck! I'm fine Shikamaru! Stupid fucking rock just hit me in the shoulder blade!"  
"We'll take a look at that later partner. Get these fuckers off our Jeeps guys!"  
"Tryin' the best we fucking can Kiba!" I snapped back at him. I never cursed so much like I did now. Either the adrenaline was getting to me in more ways than one or Sarutobi's combat personality was rubbing off on me. I readied my rifle and shot at them the best I could but all Temari and I got were a couple of grazing wounds on the rocket soldiers. Naruto, Toyama, the LT, and Ino were luckier as their weapons required a little less precision and could hold more than five bullets. A few more Soundies fell to our guns but the explosions from their Panzerschreck rockets, though not hitting us directly thank God, were sending dirt, rocks, and shrapnel everywhere. A couple of our guys got it pretty badly with shrapnel wounds in the arms or upper torso. If we got to the HQ in time they could be treated with no problem but if we screw around any longer, it'll spell really bad news for them.

Truth be told, I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with all the fast-paced racing around and continuously harassing fire, barring the occasional lucky shot like me just hitting that schmuck in the Sound truck or wounding a couple in the initial stages of this little fracas we got ourselves in. What was even worse was that there was little if any time to think. I dreaded situations like this, when my mental prowess was more or less powerless to outside circumstances. Part of the reason I've been able to survive for so long, outside of luck and the saving graces of an ally or two, was because I still had time to think about what I was gonna do when I was being attacked. I could think of a trick or two, or something to divert them while I struck from unexpected angles. There was a time in the Lightning Nation when I came up with an idea to take out an entire mortar section that was harassing my platoon with only two squads by a simple use of one squad to get the Soundies running while 3rd squad and I snuck into enemy territory and waited for them to come. It wasn't even funny how badly we hurt them as they walked right into my trap, and that little idea got me my first promotion before I became corporal. Maybe it was days like that one that gave Sarutobi the impression that I was a kid that had "potential" as he'd so giddily put it. Too bad he has to take into account I'm a lazy bastard who'd rather be sleeping. It also reminded me when I used to destroy people, including my own friends, playing Shogi and all sorts of other games of strategy. It reminded me how people like Ino or Kiba would get pissed when I'd outsmart them in the games we played. That kind of quick and intelligent thinking made me proud of who I was, but this…this just sucked. This was just brutish running and gunning while trying to stay alive long enough to get to Major Shizune. I had to keep my head down half the time while poor Kiba, despite partially getting us into this mess, was doing his damnedest to get all of us out of it. Funny how ironic it is that the very person I thought would get people hurt or killed from recklessness or stupidity would be the one keeping us alive right now with the same quick thinking and mental instincts I prided myself on so very much.  
"Machine gunner, eleven o'clock!" The LT announced as we spotted an MG42 team setting up in a third floor window in a café building to the left of us. We signaled to Toyama's Jeep where the gunner was but I bet his group saw them two as one second later the gunner poured fire into the windows. Whether the MG team died or not became little concern for us as all we were really aiming for was just to delay them from setting up in time. By the time I turned to see them try again to set up we were already a good distance away and Toyama's Jeep still kept pouring bullets into the house. Another rifleman revealed himself on a nearby rooftop and shot right through the rear of our Jeep. Had it been a foot or two more to the right it would've been curtains for me or Temari. He ducked down as the LT missed him and hit the ridge of the house, but it gave me all the time I needed to wait for him to reappear. Sure as sure, he did and not a millisecond later I greeted him with a decently-placed shot in between his eyes. Fucker went down with little fuss. Temari clipped another Soundie in the stomach and rendered him combat ineffective. Ino and the other gunner were too busy shooting at anything that moved in the most paranoid manner possible. I didn't blame them since they were rather exposed and a Soundie with a Panzerschreck is certainly a good reason to panic when you're in such a lightly armored vehicle. About four or five of us in the convoy were already wounded including the gunner Ino replaced and one of the drivers still had that nagging shoulder wound. I only prayed the HQ was really close because I don't think the convoy can take much more harassment. To their credit, the drivers including Kiba had kept us away from death so far and we had already driven through half of the town. However, a slight feeling of unease coursed through my body. I could've sworn I felt something as the fire from the Sound seemed to quiet down as we turned down a narrow road, the left side walled off by a thick concrete wall about ten feet high. I felt a slight rumble that wasn't the familiar one of riding at breakneck speeds in a Leaf Army Jeep with the occasional pothole…no…it was something entirely different.  
"Um guys, did you feel or hear that?" I asked aloud.  
"Knock it off Shikamaru." Temari scolded. "Now is not the time to be playing paranoid and screwing with heads."  
"No I'm serious Temari! And I thought I just saw smoke!" The rumbling came back but was a little stronger. "There it is again!" I yelled as we made a left turn into a large cobblestone and dirt courtyard area.  
"No…you're right…what the hell is that?" Temari asked me and all I could do was shrug my shoulders though my mind already filtered through what it could be. A loud, rather unnatural noise bellowed from our left side, like the grinding of gears and the revving of an engine.  
"Oh please don't be what I think that is…God please don't let it be what I think that is…" Kiba said as he looked like he was sweating bullets.  
Suddenly the grinding got louder and to the left of us the wall shook violently. I turned and watched helplessly as concrete gave way and dust flew everywhere with the terrorizing sight of a Sound tank crashing right through what was the wall and turning to say hello to us.  
"Oh…sweet…Jesus…" Temari muttered.  
"Tank...tank...tank...TANK...TANK!" I said stuttering like a scared child.  
"STUG! FUCKING ARMORED STUG! MOVE IT!" the LT screamed at the top of her lungs as it greeted us with a loud roar and a fierce boom from its cannon. The round slammed into the center fountain and narrowly missed Ino's Jeep.  
"God in Heaven! This is such bullshit! Just leave me the fuck alone! I didn't want any of this!" Kiba yelled hysterically as he doubled his efforts to get us out of range of the StuG. As if the Panzerschreck soldiers weren't bad enough on the poor kid's nerves, the sight of a hulking piece of Sound armor with a nicely sized cannon would cause an aneurysm.  
"Kiba," I said to him as I slapped my hand on his shoulder while keeping my head down, "you're doin' fuckin' great so far so we need ya to keep driving the way you are to get us outta here. Shit we'll tell the Major herself about ya and you'll get promoted on the spot." Call it some bullshit psychological attempt but we had to keep Kiba's head in the game. That StuG was really spooking him but he wasn't alone. Another roar bellowed from its cannon as it missed again right into a school wall and nearly knocked Naruto's Jeep over as they held on for dear life while the Jeep tilted slightly to the side. The beast did its best to catch up with us and we couldn't shake him as we kept taking evasive action denying Ino and anyone else any room for concentration let alone aim. "So how 'bout it Kiba? Wanna prove you're the best God damn driver in 2nd Platoon and in Konoha?"  
He nodded.  
"Good. Then lead the way outta this hellhole and leave that fucking StuG in the dust! No fuckin' Soundies are gonna get Kiba Inuzuka today now are they?"  
"Yeah...you're right buddy! Let's do this!" He slammed his foot on the gas pedal once more as we were thrown back into our seats. The rest of the convoy quickly sped up as the StuG rolled along, firing another shot but missing again. Ino and the other .30 cal gunner quickly returned fire.  
"What the hell do they think they're doing?" Temari questioned.  
"I dunno, but I'll tell ya one thing it's pissing off that StuG something fierce!" I replied as a few seconds later it fired right back and slammed right near us. Ino's and Naruto's Jeep criss-crossed to dodge the armor's fire along with some more harassing infantry from the buildings. The other gate of the town was nearby...we could taste it. However much to our detriment Ino's .30 cal was nearly out of ammo and our vehicles were still taking damage from the Soundies and that damn StuG. Ino was fiddling with her gun as it ever so inconveniently jammed and while she tried pulling the charging handle again and again I watched a round slice her leg as she grimaced and screamed in pain.  
"INO!" I yelled as she went down on one knee and was losing grip of the machine gun. If Choji was here he'd have blown a head gasket.  
She had almost fallen off had it not been for the timely rescue from the wounded gunner that she had pulled to safety and lightly treated before. He had reached up with all his might and grabbed her arm the second it slipped from the machine gun's handle. Struggling bit by bit, he pulled her back in the seat and did what he could to help. That was most certainly a close call.  
"Shit! That damn StuG won't quit! It's turning to fire again!" Temari screamed.  
"Hold on tight guys!" Kiba yelled.  
"Wait what are ya gonna oh shit!" I yelled as he took a big swerve to the left and off the road, the tank round landing right where we were going to be.  
"JESUS! ANOTHER CLOSE ONE!" LT Uzuki yelled.  
"God damn Kiba! I guess you weren't kidding about that instinct of yours now were you?"  
"I told you guys! I'll show ya who the best motherfuckin' driver in the whole Leaf Army is!" He sped up a little more as the StuG was getting lost in the distance. Defiantly the beast's cannon roared once more and a round hit the cobblestones right behind us, forcing the Jeep to tilt forwards and slamming my body on the dashboard. Kiba much to his credit managed to regain control as the Jeep landed back on all four tires and we were back to getting the hell out. I swore if the Soundies didn't kill us I'd die from bruises, crushed organs, and/or internal bleeding, a death perhaps more troublesome than a simple bullet to the chest.  
"There it is! It's the exit to this Sound-infested town!" Temari cheered.  
"C'mon Kiba step on it!"  
"I'm goin' as fast as I can guys!"  
LT Uzuki was too busy to join the panicked conversation as she fired some bursts from her Thompson at the Soundies on the rooftops. With only one .30 cal gunner our firepower was just cut right in half so we'd have to rely a lot more on speed and Kiba's driving skills to get us out. We saw the small stone archway that was our ticket out of this God-forsaken mess.  
"Almost there...almost there..."  
Another round from the StuG that we thought we had lost screamed through and sent Naruto's Jeep off course and right into the side of a building.  
"OH FUCK! NARUTO!" I yelled as we saw his Jeep smashed against the wall. "We gotta help them!"  
"Damn right! Rangers never leave men or women behind! Private swing over and I'll get one or two of them. Someone get on that .30 cal the blonde medic was on and get the other one to lay down as much suppressing fire as possible." LT Uzuki ordered as Kiba took a hard right towards Naruto, Konohamaru, and the wreck.  
"Time is of the essence guys! If we don't get outta here before that StuG gets in range they'll have us dead to rights!" I yelled out as the other two Jeeps got in a protective formation and sprayed bullets all around to keep the Soundies from getting at us. Sound guns barked back as bullets peppered the ground. LT Uzuki and I bailed out of our Jeep and rushed to Naruto, Konohamaru, and the other two soldiers. The driver who was shot before was in even rougher shape as he was knocked unconscious. Naruto just groaned and slurred some incoherent babble while Konohamaru fared slightly better. Toyama and his .30 cal gunner laid rounds right into a pair of Soundies who were taking potshots out of the windows. One fell back inside while the other stumbled right out. I grabbed Naruto by the arm and slung it around my shoulder as I pulled him out of his seat and towards my Jeep.  
"Damn it Naruto! Ya know this is the second time someone's had to do this and I'm sure you know who the first person was!" He just mumbled some more jibberish before passing out. "_Ah damn it not that crap again! If you get in another coma Naruto, I'm gonna smother you with a pillow!_" A bullet tore through a small section of cloth on my uniform. "Ma'am methinks it's time to go!"  
"Agreed corporal! Let's move now!" She along with two other soldiers carried Konohamaru, the passenger, and the wounded driver and crammed them into what space they could muster in the Jeeps. It was gonna be a tighter ride for LT Uzuki and Temari with Naruto's heavy ass in the back but them's the brakes I guess.  
"Kiba let's step on it!" The StuG was rolling around the corner right as the three Jeeps hit the gas. Another round fired from its cannon and struck the disabled Jeep causing a massive explosion. "_And not a moment too soon..._"  
"Wow this is one for the fucking record books!" the LT roared as her body was doubtless flowing with adrenaline.  
"We're not done yet ma'am! The Soundies have a road gate up but I think it's time to blow this party!" Kiba replied as we spotted a lone white-painted wooden bar blocking our exit. Of course I don't think out of everything we've been through. Two Soundies showed up right by the wooden bar and shot at us with their rifles but missed thanks to our quick reaction. "Get ready to hold on again and someone hold Naruto tight!"  
"Here we go guys!"   
Our beloved driver led the mad dash towards the gate as the two Soundies dove to the sides as to avoid getting squashed by the erratic Kiba Inuzuka. A second later our busted-up Jeep smashed right through the bar like it was a piece of balsa wood. The Soundies that dove for cover just screamed at us while a section of the gate blew to pieces from the StuG's round in total disregard for the two soldiers as they were flattened by the shockwave. Those poor schmucks. We relished in watching their frustration and cursing at us.

"HA! WE DID IT! WE MADE IT OUT!" Kiba cheered.  
"You're damn right we did! That was such a fucking adventure and no one died!" I roared in agreement. It was seriously something short of a miracle that we weren't torn to pieces by the Soundies on not one, not two, but three accounts.  
"I hate to be the stick in the mud gentlemen and I'd love to treat you all to a round when we get back, but I certainly hope that we're not gonna be followed and that the HQ is somewhere nearby." LT Uzuki said, not completely killing the mood but hitting us with a small dose of reality to counter the euphoria.  
"We we'll keep driving ma'am. You have a compass on you ma'am?"  
She fiddled with her belt and pulled out a small, circular compass. Trying to keep it stable she pointed it in the direction we were going.  
"What's it say ma'am?" I inquired.  
"Well...it says we're heading in a north by northeast direction. I don't know if we'll run into more Soundies, praying to God not of course, but at least we're heading in the right direction."  
"Well that's somewhat of a relief." Temari commented. "Hey partner, you mind switching seats when we get the chance? Your idiot friend Naruto keeps squashing me against the side and I'm in enough pain as it is already."  
"Wait that dimwit isn't up yet?"  
"Nope...still out like a light. Just peachy."  
I laughed. Maybe he wasn't comatose but I bet Naruto was still sleeping as deeply as could be. "Sorry toots, no can do. We're not out of the woods so to speak so until then you'll have to deal with it." A firm slap hit me upside the head as I rubbed it in pain. "OW! What'd ya do that for?"  
"Don't call me 'toots'...ever!"  
"Ok fine! Jeez you're troublsome Temari."  
"I keep hearing that. I'm almost treating it like a term of endearment."  
I laughed again. Yep...that's my Temari all right. I fell in love with her for her attitude and ability to hit me right back, but of course it was superficially troublesome and there was no denying that.  
Ino seemed to be faring ok as I quickly glanced to see her applying some dressing to her comrade who she bailed and ended up bailing her out of a jam. Sure Ino was a real pain in the ass but sometimes I can see why Choji is so much into her.  
We drove for about ten more minutes while following the general direction that LT Uzuki's compass had us going. Sooner or later we'd reach some form of allied or Leaf Army territory. We had to get that intel to Major Shizune pronto, especially with the new discovery of the Sound Luftwaffe and that small group of fighters. Knowing them, the Soundies had really bad intentions with those terrible machines and I only prayed that Fox Company wouldn't be on the receiving end of those bad intentions considering there's also a Panzer Lehr unit roaming the plains here and probably chomping at the bit to get a piece of the Leaf or Water armies. "_Couldn't a liberation mission for once go easy the way I want it? Would that be too much to ask for? Of course it would! Life loves to kick me in the balls sometimes..._"  
"Damn it! All this driving around and still nothing!" the LT complained.  
"The feelings are mutual ma'am."  
"Well," Kiba sided, "I hate to add insult to injury, but there's another problem."  
"What?"  
"Well I don't think our Jeeps are doing too hot. They sustained some damage and even more upsetting is that...well we're losing fuel and fast. If we don't find this HQ we are royally screwed."  
"Well shit...keep driving private! I mean the farther away we are from those Soundies, who by the way surprise me that they haven't tried to chase us again, the better we are off even if we have to hoof the rest back to HQ!"  
Another five minutes of driving and morale was dropping a little bit. I hope Kiba and the rest of the drivers weren't seriously in a fuel issue because I wouldn't want my ass to get shot at in a moving vehicle only to have to try and run to wherever the HQ might possibly be.  
"I don't know how much longer we can last ladies and gentlemen. The fuel gauge is droppin' and I'm gettin' real nervous here."  
"Don't get nervous private. You weren't when you were driving us out of that shitstorm and you shouldn't be now. What's your name again private?"  
"Ma'am, I'm Private Kiba Inuzuka."  
"Well Private Inuzuka, you're a fantastic driver, ya think on your toes, and you seem near invulnerable to bullets. You should consider getting with us and the ANBU Rangers!"  
His eyes lit up like lights. I must admit that was one hell of a compliment, especially coming from a Ranger like herself to a regular soldier like him.  
"I'd love to ma'am but I think I've gotta stay with Fox Company for right now. I'm too loyal to my platoon and the captain to jump ship all of a sudden."  
She chuckled. "Well said there private. Captain Hatake is a fine officer and leader. He actually was in charge of me when I was a private in the ANBU Rangers. He was the LT back then...before this war started. You guys are lucky to have him as your commander. He did wonders for me and he'll do wonders for you guys as well."  
I nodded in agreement. I had to give it to her. She was right about Captain Hatake. That man has kept Fox Company surviving through the worst of fights like Hill #404 and the Battle of Takigakure. Though we managed to escape this scrap with our own wits, skill, and a whole lot of luck, he and First Sergeant Guy have been there through thick and through thin, keeping as many of us alive as possible and inspiring our leader Lee to be effective. I certainly hoped the intelligence the Rangers got and that we recently discovered will help Fox Company avoid a potential disaster. The last thing that we needed was for Fox Company to suffer more than fifty percent casualties again..  
"He already has ma'am." I replied. "He's a damn good commander and we wouldn't trade him in for the world."  
"A good answer there corporal. The captain made fine soldiers outta you all, including you Sand fighter!" She complimented to Temari who just gave out a mild grin. Calling her "Sand fighter" wasn't really a nice term but Temari couldn't really do much to convincer her otherwise. "Hell ya ain't the Rangers but you're damn close to 'em!"  
"Thanks ma'am!" Kiba replied.  
We had just driven up a rather difficult hill in which our Jeeps came frighteningly close to stalling, but with luck and a little perserverance we pulled through. It seemed like nothing could stop our convoy, especially not some punk hill.  
"Oh my God...is that what I think it is?" I asked aloud.  
"Ho...ly...shit corporal...I think it is! IT'S THE HQ!"  
We had been shot up, blown up, rocked around, bruised up, and all sorts of other forms of physical abuse and like some divine being was watching over us, our dedication and pure will to survive paid off in spades as the big Konoha flag flew from the pole in the grassy yard right next to the garrisoned manor. We were so overjoyed we had little time to even realize we were careening down the hill at speeds our Jeeps had no place at all going.   
"A little self-control would be nice right now Private Inuzuka!" The Ranger LT screamed as she had come to her senses realizing we were going to lose control.  
"I'm trying ma'am! It's not slowing down quickly enough!"  
"Keep pushin' the brakes damn it!"  
We had nearly reached the bottom of the hill when we heard some funny noises from underneath our Jeep that shouldn't have even come out. Kiba kept hitting the brakes but we were barely slowing down.  
"Oh shit...fucking brakes are failing! The Jeep's taken too much damage! The hydraulics must've gone kaput trying to get up that hill!"  
"_Wow...how convenient eh? Seriously. Everything is always so damn troublesome!_" I thought to myself as I felt that rush of panic set in once more. "You better have a good idea Kiba otherwise we're in for some hurt!"  
"I think I do...you guys better hold on tight when I give the signal."  
Ino and Toyama's Jeeps observed our dilemma but they knew there was little they could do to help us out. I just hoped that Kiba knew what he was doing as my heart started beating erratically again. Just when I thought that StuG coming out of nowhere was bad this was going to take the cake. We were slowing down just a tiny bit thanks to inertia but we were about a quarter of a mile away from the HQ and already the guys there were trying to signal us to slow down. Yeah too bad they had no idea we couldn't!  
"Fuck Kiba! We're gonna crash!"  
"Not if I can help it! Get ready guys! Hold on to something and hold onto Naruto!"  
"Oh shit not again..." Temari moaned.  
He ran into the grass past the motor pool and into a large dirt area. Almost as if it was second nature he reached for the hand brake and pulled with all his might. The car squealed as we spun around I'd say for almost seven-hundred twenty degrees. It jerked to a halt as we were rocked around like rag dolls. A few seconds later we were still and I don't think anyone was hurt.  
"Everyone alive?" I asked.  
"I'm good partner."  
"I'm fit there corporal."  
Naruto just babbled again, completely oblivious to what could've been our untimely demise or on a lesser scale a horrible, crippling accident.  
"Kiba?"  
"Holy shit...holy shit...God damn do I have it or what?" He asked us with the biggest shit-eating grin on his face. I wanted to punch him but this was definitely his moment.  
"Ya sure ya don't wanna join the ANBU Private Inuzuka?" the LT asked while we all snickered.  
"Maybe later...don't we have some news to deliver?"  
"Oh shit! You're right private! C'mon guys let's get moving!" We bailed out of the Jeep ASAP and handed Naruto off to one of the medics. Ino and the others were also getting treated at the triage center near the HQ itself. We ran like hell with the documents that LT Uzuki had in our hands and flooded the entrance to get to Major Shizune. Bowling over a couple poor clerks we ran through the halls like bats out of hell until we reached her office. The door was closed but LT Uzuki wasted no time barging right through.  
"Ma'am!"  
Major Shizune rose up as two strange individuals just turned to look at us with puzzled looks on their faces. "What on earth is the meaning of this?"  
"Ma'am! It's me...2LT Uzuki of the ANBU Rangers!"  
"Holy hell...you soldiers look like dog shit! What the hell happened?"  
"It's a long story and I'll explain it later ma'am. We've got trouble though ma'am, and lots of it."  
"Well then...let's see what you got."  
She threw the intel papers down on Major Shizune's desk. "You better take a look at these ma'am."  
"The assessment Lieutenant Uzuki?"  
She paused for a second and exhaled, "Not good."


	23. Chapter 23

"So basically ma'am, that's the story and that's what the convoy and I discovered. If we don't act quickly we're in for a nasty surprise the next time we mobilize."

"I see. All right then LT Uzuki, first off you and these soldiers performed well beyond your duties and I commend you for that." Major Shizune said as she rose from her chair after absorbing the entire situation from the Ranger LT. The two gentlemen that were previously with her had been dismissed and were waiting outside. The funniest thing is that when they passed they looked very familiar, like I had seen them before or they looked like someone I knew, but now wasn't really the time to start playing the memory game.

"Thank you ma'am. Also, if you can, see to it that Private Kiba Inuzuka is promoted as soon as possible for everything he's done."

"Ah yes, you did mention him leading your convoy through quite the firefight and even managing to evade a Sound assault gun without any deaths. I'll certainly do what I can."

Her request was one of the most flattering things we, especially Kiba, have ever heard. If anyone deserved a medal for what they did today it was Kiba. Sure the guy can look ate up from the floor up but he came through in the clutch when it mattered the most and no one died albeit some bad wounds. Ino and the rest were resting at the HQ triage area whilst Kiba, Temari, the Ranger, and I were all with the major.

"What troubles me, ladies and gentlemen, is what you've discovered on your way here. The Akatsuki Panzer Lehr is already a grave concern for our forces but finding this tactical group of Sound Luftwaffe makes prying their jaws off this land that much harder. For that matter we have only a faint idea where they are given the fact you were all lost and had little bearing where you were yourselves. We'll try sending reconnaissance planes to the region and hopefully they'll pick up the exact location of the Luftwaffe airplanes. If what you said is true, these planes have the capability to strike most of our units including this very HQ, disrupting all of our plans in this area."

"So what do you intend to do ma'am?" the LT asked.

"Well first I'm going to contact Colonel Tsunade as soon as possible. She'll most likely have a conniption but at least it won't be from our ground forces getting massacred by something we had no idea about. With any luck we could acquiesce some Air Corps fighters to take care of that airfield and the Sound Luftwaffe task force."

"Ma'am," I stepped in while maintaining a level of cordiality given her rank, "when could we expect the Air Corps to send a recon plane? I'm just worried that we might not get air reconnaissance and if we actually do, do you think the enemy might expect them, move to another location or the plane just not coming on time before the Soundies pull off an attack?" You'd think a corporal has no place asking someone like Major Shizune questions like that but today I felt particularly bold.

"You're quite the thinker there Corporal Nara aren't you?" She replied right back to me with a snicker. "Makes me wonder why you're not intelligence instead of a sharpshooter."

"I was told by Captain Hatake I was too good of a shot to not be an infantryman ma'am."

"Ah of course…well I won't question your commander's wisdom. As for your inquiry corporal, well there's nothing I can write in stone but we'll try and get it within the next hour or so. Just pray for all our sake that they haven't moved or mobilized their aircraft."

"Of course if they moved they'd have to create another makeshift airstrip ma'am." The LT chimed in.

"That goes without saying." The major got up and walked back and forth behind her desk. "However if they've been alerted by your presence during your little race through the fields and woods, then there's a chance they'll speed up their operations and if so, God help us all."

The room got real silent right after that comment as she sat down again. We dreaded thinking of what would happen if the Sound Luftwaffe got the drop on one of our companies, be it armored or infantry. Without sufficient air cover it'd be like shooting ducks in a row. I remember the last times we suffered any real air attack were during the Sound attack on Konoha, our initial liberation operations right after declaring war on the Sound, and even up to the liberation of Kumogakure when a squadron of Messerschmitt fighters held two of our companies and a whole squadron of Konoha Air Corps B-24s at bay for a few days before we could shoot them all out of the sky. Though severely weakened with every piece of land we took from the Sound and the ruthlessness of the Air Corps and Royal Water Air Force attacks on their airfields, the Luftwaffe still had some fight in them. Major Shizune leaned back in her chair, her hands clasped together at her mouth, her eyes looking at the desk in front of her, pensive all the while. I would've hated to be her, Colonel Jiraiya, or Colonel Tsunade for that matter. Their calls could make or break our offensives, and with these new developments our collective balls were inches away from the band saw.

"

?"

"So ma'am, what's the call?" LT Uzuki inquired.

"All right, I'll relay this to Colonel Tsunade right now. If all goes according to what I'm looking to do and what you two have suggested, we can establish some aerial recon to locate the planes while have fighter-bombers already prepped and ready the second the recon spots 'em. Once again I thank you for everything you and your men have done and Corporal..."

"Yes ma'am?"

"Seems Captain Hatake knows how to make a soldier out of young bucks like you and

Inuzuka." Kiba's eyes lit up as an excited grin was slapped on his face. "You guys are tough as nails and driving though fucking hell to get to us proves it. I'll do what I can to not screw you over but I cannot promise anything. If that's it ladies and gentlemen, please vacate the room and go hang outside. I'll let you know what the colonel says Uzuki. In the mean time feel free to talk to the other soldiers, see how your own are doing, and do have a word with those two gentlemen that left. Turns out they're Grass Nation partisans so they might have some intel you could find handy. Dismissed."

"Yes ma'am!" We snapped to attention as she saluted her to which Major Shizune did the same in kind.

"Man I could really use a smoke..." Kiba whispered under his breath as we opened the door.

We sauntered outside towards a fallen log where the four of us leaned up against it and tried to stop our hearts from pounding outside of our chests even if we stopped driving for almost forty-five minutes.

The Ranger handed something to Kiba.

"Here ya go kiddo."

At first Kiba was caught slightly off-guard wondering what she meant. Then she moved her fingers to reveal a cigarette.

"I'm sorry what ma'am?"

"I said here...take the cig. You said you really could use a smoke so here you are. You definitely earned it kid." She jerked her hand with the cigarette sticking out towards Kiba, to which he nodded and graciously accepted. She then grabbed her lighter and lit the smoke for him as he took a drag and let out a long exhale which to him probably felt like heaven.

She laughed seeing his elation. "I like you kid. If ya ever wanna break off of Captain Hatake's bunch, lemme know and I'll see if I can get ya in the Rangers."

"Ya really mean that ma'am?"

"Shit...with your driving skills, that hair trigger 'instinct' of yours as you so proudly called it, and a little education from yours truly and you'd be a lean, mean, Sound-killin' machine in no time!"

Kiba rarely received encouragement from people in the platoon except for maybe a kind word from Hinata or Shino who I knew cared about him. When he did he'd appreciate it, but to hear something like that from the elite of the Leaf Army probably gave him a mental orgasm. His face was already awash with giddiness and pride.

"I'll mull it over ma'am." I figured Kiba wouldn't want to leave his friends in Fox Company where he's been for about a year or so, but an offer like that came once in a lifetime. I'm sure the offer and his subsequent choice was doing a mindfuck on him and given his thought process it was a mindfuck in the fullest. "Still got loyalty to the captain and that's a hard bond to break.

"No worries. I pained me too when I broke off from Captain Hatake and joined up with the ANBU."

"Ma'am?" I asked.

"Yes corporal?" the LT responded.

"Just out of curiosity, who is that man in the photo? You know...the one with the freakish shark-like face and the large build?"

She fiddled through some documents in her hand and pulled out another photo of the Panzer Lehr formation. "Oh yeah I forgot to tell you guys...sorry 'bout that. His name is Major Kisame Hoshigake and he's a bad motherfucker I hate to say. Rumor has it his command vehicle is a massive King Tiger that the few survivors of his brutal attacks say he calls 'Sharkskin' which of course gives me the heebie-jeebies."

"Sharkshin?"

"Yeah...they say his tank 'shaves' armor off instead of cuts through it. They say he likes to gleefully pick apart tanks bit by bit while relishing every moment, all the while adding little bits and pieces of his kills on his hull. He's a real sadistic fuck and if I had the power I'd paste him without hesitation even I died in the process. I pity the poor souls that went against him and will go against him in the future. Better pray the Air Corps gets to him before he gets to our armor or infantry."

"Shit…" Temari grumbled.

"Shit is right Sand fighter. Then again I'm not surprised the fuckin' Soundies still have some fight left in them. For a small and what we thought was a second-rate nation to take over almost half the continent and given the sheer amount of pain and trouble they cause, that takes bronze balls and they've got 'em in spades."

A couple of medics passed by which grabbed our attention.

"Hey corporal!" Uzuki screamed out.

"Yes ma'am? What can I do ya for?" One of them turned and asked.

"Any idea how the wounded guys from the convoy that came barrel-assing down that hill," as she pointed to the very hill we were speeding down in our escape from the Soundies, "are faring?"

He smiled a bit which of course was always a good sign unless he was just being a prick, but we'd give him the benefit of the doubt. "They're doin' just fine ma'am. A couple of 'em were hit kinda bad but they'll live."

"Anything to report on a Private Ino Yamanaka or PFC Naruto Uzumaki at all there buddy?" I asked.

"Can you describe 'em?"

"All right, both blonde, the girl's got a thin frame, slightly bitchy, leg wound, medic with a Garand. The guy's slightly taller than me, has 'Believe It!' written on the back of his shirt," I always scoffed when I thought about that stupid catch phrase of his, "probably bleeding from that thick head of his…"

"Oh yeah! I know who you're talking about. Yeah the girl's just fine but not as bitchy as ya make her out to be and you're talking about the guy with the lines on his cheeks right?"

"Bingo."

"Pfft! Yeah that knucklehead woke up about fifteen minutes ago. The second he woke up his eyes were as big as baseballs, he kept slurring his words, and was stumbling around more than an alcoholic but he'll be all right. His head just got rocked around from the accident his friend named Konohamaru described."

What a schmuck…typical Naruto style to do that. "Don't worry about head trauma or nothin' pal. That kid is my good pal Naruto and he's taken worse blows to the head…it's happened before. He's got a noggin I swear was made of steel."

"Well I'm sure that's the case given how quickly he's recovering pal. You can see 'em in about fifteen minutes. By then I'm sure you guys'll be on your way to whatever shithole I don't wanna fuckin' be in."

"How erudite of you corporal." I sneered at his bluntness.

"What can I say? Heard some rumors about that boogeyman Panzer group skulkin' around here…wouldn't wanna be the poor saps takin' them on."

"Feelings are mutual."

"Well I'll be takin' off now. My sergeant's calling me. Good luck guys, ma'am."

The medics departed leaving us to sit and absorb the calming ambiance of the Grass Nation countryside. I just hoped it wasn't another piece of calm before the storm. That seemed to be a repeating pattern nowadays. The lingering thought of how and why the Soundies didn't continue their pursuit stayed in my mind but I kept telling myself that it was nothing to worry about. We had just driven through three significant concentrations of Sound troops and managed to evade each one, including their tracked armor. I just hoped our little escapade hadn't caused unforeseen consequences.

"So um…corporal, about that Uzumaki kid, I take it he's taken whacks to the dome before and been able to survive and still function?" the LT inquired after hearing my reaction to the medic's report.

"Oh Naruto? Yeah he got in a real bad injury back in the Cloud Village. We were getting hit by a Sound counterattack and the crazy sum'bitch had an engineer's satchel charge on him when a StuG was close by. The asshole ran about two, maybe three hundred meters weaving through Sound infantry and rubble and threw the charge right near the tank. Blew the motherfucker sky high but got launched right into a wall and was out like a light. Funny thing is that he was doin' it most likely to impress this engineer gal we've got named Sakura Haruno."

"Ha. Typical young soldier in his early twenties…thinking with his dick instead of his head."

"Behold your exception ma'am." I boasted pointing to myself. "Anyway he was down and most likely going to die until one of our medics, PFC Hinata Hyuga, ran out to save his dumb ass and then I followed along with Sergeant Uchiha and Corporal Haruno. Lo and behold we manage to cover him and try to get back to the church we were defending when the Sound came attacking us and if it wasn't for the Sand and this little lady," I said as I rubbed Temari's shoulder, "we'd have been good and dead. What was even more amazing is that the medic, PFC Hyuga, supported his weight on her back and was able to move before we were pinned. I gotta be honest though, he scared the shit outta me, my friend Choji, PFC Hyuga, and some others when he didn't get up for almost two days. It wasn't until a confrontation broke out between PFC Hyuga and her cousin, Corporal Neji Hyuga who sadly died at Hill #404, that he snapped out of his comatose state to defend the same girl who saved his life."

"Sounds like the kid has got a heart of gold and the chivalry of an ancient warrior but a head as thick as butter. Stupid and reckless, but brave and noble…interesting qualities. I certainly hope that Hyuga girl got what she deserved."

"If you mean winning my knucklehead's heart then yes ma'am."

"Nice."

"Yep that's my friend Naruto in a nutshell. He's a good person though even if we don't always see eye to eye when he thinks I'm a cynical, cowardly, smartass and I think he's a reckless, oblivious, idiot."

"You kids…you're all quite interesting from what I've seen. Oh how I wish I could go back to those days again, but I'll warn ya, life comes at ya pretty fast and you won't see it comin' sometimes. Hell I remember when I was your age and a buck private about six or so years ago before the war ever started, when I was wet behind the ears and I had myself a little puppy love for one of the tankers in Able Company named Hayate Gekko who at the time was just a loader." She chuckled. "Heh, sometimes I used to remember him and me sneaking off base to the local diner, the theater, or just laying down on the grass in the summers. We never got caught and times were great. Well…six years later…I'm an LT in the Rangers, he's the commander of a Sherman tank, we're still together and wouldn't ya know it?" She stuck her hand out revealing a simple but elegant diamond ring. "We're engaged."

I quickly jerked my head as my mind immediately recalled the moment when I was with Naruto in Hinata's hospital room, fiddling with the elegant ring he got in Takigakure while she slept peacefully.

"

."

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"Naruto…" I whispered under my breath. I hoped he knew what he was doing because if what this LT and Sarutobi have been telling me is true, he'd have to be ready for what's coming no matter what. This God damn war has already proven that anything can happen so heaven forbid the worst happen to him…shit it almost came to pass a couple times before. I noticed Temari glancing at me, picking up on my inner monologue. I wonder if she knows what I'm thinking.

"Say…I got an idea guys. How about we check up on the rest of our convoy, bandaged-up and all?" Kiba suggested to which we all nodded our approval. We got up and walked over towards the triage centers where Ino was sitting down and apparently waiting for us.

"Did ya miss us guys?" Kiba shouted out with his arms wide open like he was looking for a hug. He'd get none of that given the looks of our pals.

"Yeah like a hernia Kiba…" Ino snorted back.

"Hey Naruto," I said as he looked at me, still a little woozy from the crash and subsequent bandaging and medication while lying on a stretcher near the outside of the tent, "how goes it? Feeling fit as a fiddle?" He looked like a train wreck with a big, bloody bandage around his head and eyes with more glaze than one of Choji's favorite doughnuts from the local bakery back home.

"Ffffuggg youuu man…ugh…ffeel like sjhjittt…" Kiba, Temari, and I did our best to stifle our laughter. "Hhey hey hgghhoney! Who'sh th'babe? You kh-kinda look like m'girrrl Hina...Hinata but don't wo-worry...shhhhe won't know..." He clearly didn't recognize the LT. We turned to her waiting for a reaction.

"Normally I'd pound a man that calls me a babe that wasn't Hayate into pulp but I think given his situation I'll let it slide." We all laughed. Sure you could call it a slight form of sadism or schadenfreude but Naruto was always the unwitting clown in so many situations. He was either woozy from his accident or most likely from the meds they gave him, making the situation all the funnier.

"So d'ya think he'll be all right Ino?" Kiba asked.

"Well he's certainly better than after the Cloud Village I can say that much."

"Ah c'mon boss! Don't ya see they're makin' fun of ya?" Konohamaru pleaded to him. He got no response as Naruto feel right asleep snoring like a sputtering engine.

"Sorry kid...you've still got a lot to learn about Naruto. I know he's your mentor and all but you've only seen the tip of the iceberg with that character." I said to him snickering.

"Have any of you received word from Fox Company or the Rangers?" Ino inquired.

"No but we did just speak with Major Shizune about what we saw and what the ANBU saw Ino. Not really a good reaction we got but we got the word through nonetheless. We're hopin' the Air Corps sends something to check it out. We were then told to just chill here and maybe see some guys that the major said were Grass partisans."

"Oh yeah! I know who you're talking about Shikamaru. They were just here a minute ago. Nice guys they were...one of them real silly while the other was slightly more taciturn but cordial nonetheless. The funniest thing is though...they look so frighteningly familiar to someone we know." She replied.

"Yeah that's what I thought! They kinda looked like..."

"Sasuke?!?" Kiba asked.

"Yeah!"

"No I mean is that you Sasuke?" Kiba asked again while pointing to one of the black-haired gentlemen approaching us. They wore simple white shirts and slacks looking more civilian than military with green bandanas tied around their arms. He stopped for a second and chuckled goofily.

"Sasuke? I...don't really know this Sasuke you speak of but it's rather funny nonetheless."

"And you would be?" the LT asked them.

"Partisans...partisans of the Grass Nation miss. We've just made contact with your forces and are trying to lend a hand however which way we can." Like I said before, civilians. Unlike Temari and the Sand resistance who probably got their clothes and equipment from Sand military remnants and looted Sound caches and their ranks probably comprising of former Sand government and military officials, these Grass fellows looked more like people of the land, grabbing any weapon they could and getting themselves formed like some sort of ragtag militia. Though maybe looking not as disciplined or organized as the Leaf, Water, or even Sand, they were a form of help nonetheless.

"Got names there...partisans?"

"Oh of course...how silly of me!" The one in front laughed while blushing slightly from embarrassment. "Tobi's my name." He walked a little closer but stumbled on a rock and lost his footing. We couldn't help but laugh as he did the same, his friend scoffing at the sight. "Pleased to meet ya!"

"Nice to meet ya too Tobi, and who's your friend?"

"Itachi..." the other one muttered. He looked like the more serious one of the bunch.

"Good to meet you guys." I offered a handshake which the sillier one named Tobi accepted graciously with a big smile. If you wanted my personal opinion the man was a little too giddy and cheery by normal standards. The other one named Itachi was rather taciturn as Ino had mentioned. I looked at him for a second and noticed his eyes were an incredibly rare shade of red, the same with Tobi. For a second I felt almost entranced by them.

"You wouldn't have last names would ya guys?" Kiba asked out of curiosity.

"Oh no...our names are just our 'noms de guerre' so to speak. We don't reveal our true names out of concern for our families should the Sound get word."

"Not a bad notion," Temari replied, "since it's certainly understandable how big the Soundies are on repercussions for any transgression a person would make against them. I would know."

"You must be part of the Sand resistance I hear about." Itachi said.

"Word travels I see." She said right back.

"Indeed it does…been a thorn in the Sound's side for quite some time. I'm impressed but I wouldn't be surprised that you'd have to latch on to the Leaf Army for support."

Temari and I didn't know if that was offensive or not, despite the truth of the matter. The two of them seemed somewhat opposite in their natures but were nonetheless cordial.

"So then Tobi, Itachi, what brings you to speak to Major Shizune since we do believe it was you two talking to her before am I correct?" LT Uzuki asked them.

"Indeed you are correct miss. We had heard of the incursions you had made into the Grass Nation and since time was of the essence we felt it imperative to contact you as soon as possible." Itachi answered. "We were told to wait here for a…Fox Company."

"Well I'll be…that's us!" Kiba exclaimed.

"Um…where are the rest of you? Awfully small unit if this is all you have aren't I right?" Tobi asked jocularly. "Guess Konoha likes its armies small, elite, and slightly wounded."

"Cute. Nah Tobi, they're on their way back to HQ at least I think that's the case. We had a bit of a scrap with the Sound a little while ago when we were rescuing a platoon of ANBU Rangers somewhere west of here."

"Ah of course, how silly of me. I should've known that could've been the case. So I guess it's the waiting game huh?"

"Yep."

"Splendid."

About ten or fifteen minutes passed by where we all stood around and enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere of the HQ.

"Well in the mean time while we're waiting for the rest of your unit to return I might as well entertain to pass the time huh? Now don't laugh..." He laughed to us while sticking his tongue out like a goofball. He pulled out a couple of objects including four small balls and started juggling them which amused us a little bit. "I always love putting on a show for new friends and passing the time by doing so. Hey Itachi, toss me that rifle." His comrade threw the weapon at his left arm which he caught with amazing dexterity. After some careful placement and coordination, he balanced the butt stock of the rifle on his chin while continuing to juggle. A few of us clapped our hands in appreciation as he grabbed it with one hand and still juggled the other things with the other hand.

"That's pretty fuckin' impressive Tobi." Kiba said.

"Thanks. I used to be an acrobatic and street performer before the war started. Haven't really done a real show in a while but I'm certainly not rusty." He replied in a manner that felt like what he was doing was near effortless. I felt like I we were little kids again watching the man perform little tricks as if we were at a circus or some street performance back home in Konoha. I then felt like we could be doing something relevant like planning or even better sleeping…but seeing us clap for Tobi reminded me of when Kankuro entertained those poor kids who had their parents abducted back in the Waterfall land. Reminding myself of that convinced me to just shut up and enjoy it for what it was worth, no matter how troublesome or juvenile. His associate Itachi just stood there with a straight face as he was doubtless used to these kinds of antics.

"Funny how you tripped on yourself just a half-hour ago." The LT commented.

"I'm a real klutz when I'm not doing this so I guess appearances are deceiving huh?"

"Yeah I guess so. So what brought you into this mess Itachi and Tobi?"

"The Sound enemy did to us what they did to so many other peoples. They burned, smashed, robbed, and killed with little regard for humanity. Sure some of them were a little more rational than others, but the majority of them are vile and would love nothing more than to see us in chains. Tobi and I were amongst those that escaped and formed partisan groups." Itachi explained as Tobi was too preoccupied having fun with the rest.

"Seems like a similar story everywhere ya go." Temari said. I wouldn't put it past them if there were little resistance groups everywhere. It just so happened that the Sand movement was more "popular" so to speak due to the sheer size of the country, how far they had spread themselves, and how much larger of an impact they were making on the Sound in conjunction with us and the other allies.

"Yes indeed." He said back as he lit up a cigarette. Tobi had managed to handle six objects in his hands while balancing the rifle Itachi gave him on his foot. After about thirty seconds of that he kicked the rifle up and threw the four balls and two metal rings in the air. With incredible coordination and agility he caught the four balls in his right hand one by one and grabbed the rings and rifle with the other one. We were quite impressed and applauded loud enough for the whole HQ to hear.

"Thank you! Thank you! And now for my next trick, will you please come a little closer sir?" Tobi asked Kiba who was not sure what the hell he was doing. "Now when I shook your hand I noticed something funny near your right ear."

"Was that more of his brains leaking out Tobi? He has the tendency to do that which explains why he's Kiba." Ino jabbed causing a chuckle or two.

"Hey Ino," Kiba said angrily as Tobi was "inspecting" him, "put your hands to your neck and squeeze until you black out."

"Nah…no brains here, nothing squishy." Tobi replied to Ino with that silly face of his. "But…I can tell that this man is a thinker since he has money on the mind."

"What do ya mean by that?"

"Well…I'm not quite sure, but I think, wait…" He twitched his hand and almost instantly a neatly folded five-dollar bill showed up in between his middle and index finger. "See? I told you he had money

the mind!" Tobi gave Kiba the five bucks.

"What the? Well I'll be damned…"

"You might wanna check your back pocket Mr. Kiba." Tobi suggested.

"Um ok…" He fiddled around in his rear pant pocket. He looked surprised as he took his hand out with nothing. "Hey! That was my five bucks from that pocket!"

Tobi just smiled and even Itachi grinned as well.

"You sneaky bastard! I'm impressed again. Good man…"

"HA! Well done there Tobi! Very clever…" I cheered as I clapped with the rest. Even Temari bore a wide smile as she was just as impressed. I always found magic, even parlor tricks, to be somewhat entertaining. Something that kept a person guessing as to what happened and how he or she performed it appealed to my train of thought.

"Hey! Check it out! Someone's coming." Konohamaru blurted out. He was right. The large concentration of dust being kicked up meant a large group of vehicles were fast approaching. Judging by the looks of it they were coming from where Kiba, Temari, the LT, and I had started our fantastic Jeep voyage through that 'smidgen' of Sound forces.

"Hey I think that's Fox Company! Wait a minute…yeah! It is them!"

"Oh fantastic! Just who we were looking for! Hope they got the rest of my Rangers…"

Within a minute the halftracks were in sight bearing the symbol of Konoha on the hoods and First Sergeant Guy, as expected, leading up the front in one of the company Jeeps.

"Ah Fox Company has arrived...and in typical style no less..." Toyama said as he emerged from the medic tent.

"Hey Kaz! I was wondering where in the hell you ran off to after our little mobile scuffle."

"Well Shikamaru I did what you'd do in your typical fashion and sneak a nice nap in while the medics worked on the real injured guys like our lovable punching bag Naruto."

I turned to Naruto where he was still passed out as expected. A pity he probably won't be seeing Hinata when they unload but I'm sure that, true to her nature, she'll want to check up on the dope. The trucks stopped in near flawless formation right in front of the HQ as the first sergeant started shouting as he always does trying to get some order in the ranks. From the looks on the faces in the company I could tell that they had a gay ole time tearing the Soundies to bits. I saw Sarutobi getting the rest of the squad off the truck and getting them into some sort of orderly formation.

"Hey Ino how's your leg faring?" I asked looking at the bandaging around Ino's leg. Some of the bandage was still a nice shade of dark red but that was usually a sign that her wound was no longer bleeding.

"I think I can manage to walk if you're asking me to go see Sarutobi with you. It wasn't as bad as I thought but it hurt somethin' fierce."

"Well I'm glad you feel that confident. I hope you thanked that guy who grabbed you before you could fall off the Jeep."

"I think we left it at about even since I helped him first."

"Well good...and judging by the way Sarutobi's eyeballing us methinks we should see him."

Temari, Ino, Toyama, and I hustled to where 3rd squad had placed themselves. Oddly enough Choji wasn't with them which raised a couple of questions in my mind. They were sweaty and dirty but the smiles on their young and novice faces showed the sign that their baptism of fire had been a fortunate one for them.

"So lady and gentlemen how went the fight?" I asked them with a grin on my face. Sugiyama looked cheerful as ever while Nakamura and Asano were slightly more reserved.

"Sent those fucking Soundies runnin' with their tails between their legs corporal! I got myself two confirmed kills. It was fuckin' awesome and I was all..." Sarutobi raised a hand which shut Nazuka up instantly. I couldn't blame the private for his excitement after such a skirmish, but it seemed the sergeant wanted none of it.

"Why don't you tell us how your little escapade went Nara?"

"Well I first wanna say that appearances are most certainly deceiving, because you might not think it but Kiba is a fantastic driver under the gun. As for the story, well before I tell I'm wondering seomthing...where's Choji and why is he not here right now?"

"Akimichi's still in the truck getting all his shit together." Of course the minute he mentioned it a loud clunk emerged from the halftrack and Choji's large frame arose from the back.

"Hey! How's it goin' there big buddy?" I shouted excitedly.

"Hey Shikamaru! Glad to see you made it out in one piece and...INO!" He hopped down over the side with surprising speed and rushed over with his .30 cal in one hand. "Ino what happened? Are you ok?"

"

"

His panicked look caused a few laughs amongst the squad while Ino just huffed. "Oh c'mon Choji, I'm perfectly fine ya big idiot!"

"And back to her normal self too Choji...isn't it wonderful?"

"Shut up Shikamaru."

"Actually Choji, you shoulda seen her!" Toyama butted in. "The gunner in the second Jeep got hurt so first she pulled him to the seat and then, get ready for this, grabbed onto the .30 cal and actually rocked the Soundies for a little while!"

"You're kidding!"

"No bullshit man I'm serious! Yeah she charged the gun and blazed away on it as if it was you up there."

"Wow! Well done Ino. I'm proud of you. I always knew ya had it in ya!" Choji slapped her shoulder and knocked her over. Once again Choji didn't know his own strength. "Oh shit! Sorry!" She just blushed as she had regained her footing with the help of Choji. Poor kid, he'll do his damnedest to win Ino's favor but somehow find some way to either muck it up or make him look silly, but I was willing to bet that Ino appreciated his concern and praise.

"NARUTO! Where's Naruto?" Hinata yelled out wondering where her paramour was.

"Hey Hinata! Your lover seems to enjoy having his head treated like a punching bag because he's sleeping in the medical tent just like last time!" Toyama said as he pointed to our friend passed out on the stretcher with Naruto's protégé Konohamaru just sitting there.

"Shit..." I heard her mutter. Hinata doesn't normally curse but I guess hearing that her Naruto had another head injury got her all upset again. She walked past us to the tent and I turned to see her kneel at Naruto's stretcher-bed. "Naruto! Naruto wake up it's me...Hinata!" She laughed as he snored some more, oblivious to her presence. She knew he'd be ok and stopped worrying. "Oh...my Naruto..."

He tossed around for a little bit before opening his eyes again. "Oh...hhheeyyy...you're thhhat angjhel I shaw a wh-while ago." He feebly raised his arm and stroked her cheek with his hand. "Thhhankss for thhe resshcue ag-again." Hinata smiled even wider and grasped his hand, holding it close to her face as she stroked his hair gently.

"Another Kodak moment eh Shikamaru?" Sakura suggested as she slapped me on the back, nearly knocking me over. Like Choji sometimes Sakura didn't know her own strength and it was more out of surprise that I nearly lost footing.

"Yep that's right Sakura. Our darling little couple is growing up, even if that blonde dimwit keeps getting knocked around and out."

"Hell the more power to 'em that's what I say. Not to be callous or nothin' but at least he's not trying day and night to get my fancy like he did for all that time. Hell I've already got my boy toy. Isn't that right babe?" She asked loudly to Sasuke who was about thirty feet away.

"Um yeah...ok. What'd you say Sakura?" He asked slightly confused.

"That's what I thought..."

"Ma'am! Glad to see you're fit as a fiddle but I would expect no less from the LT!" The Ranger named Sergeant Ito yelled out to the LT. Behind him was the rest of the ANBU Ranger platoon who despite the hardship they had suffered, came out of this figuratively beating their chests in pride. Ya had to respect them for such motivation...something I'd have little of.

"Now now kids! Momma wouldn't leave you guys for the world, especially then there some more fucking Sound ass to kick!" They cheered again with an aura of zeal comparable to that of the first sergeant or 2LT Lee.

"How bad was it sergeant?" She asked.

"We lost two more, but we brought them and the others back here for burial. We don't leave fallen comrades behind...ever."

"Well done sergeant. You guys are true Rangers."

"Ah Uzuki! It seems that the fates have been kind to you and your men." The captain noted as he approached 2LT Uzuki, his arms crossed and a slight look of agitation in his eyes. She froze in place and stood at parade rest. "However, I hope that such a situation does not occur again because someone, like Fox Company for example, might not be around to bail you out. I understand you're a Ranger and you live for this, but I taught you better than to bite off more than you can chew."

"Yes...yes sir." A rare twinge of shame crept inside the Ranger as her former mentor chastised her for her apparent recklessness. Her Rangers stayed quiet in front of the captain as some of them probably knew their history together and would not want to disrespect him.

He placed his hand on her shoulder. "Ya still did good Uzuki. You completed your mission and though you lost men and women, you did your duty." His eyes turned more amicable. "Remember Yugao, patience, persistence, and discipline. I'm glad to know that those that were under my command can become such good leaders.

Her face became calmer when she was probably expecting a fierce chewing from Captain Hatake. "Thank you sir. I'll do better next time."

"I know you will."

A loud droning was heard in the distance as I turned to the east. Two airborne objects were coming closer and closer as the droning of its engines got louder as well.

"What on earth?" Kankuro asked.

"Excellent. It seems Major Shizune got through to Colonel Tsunade and got some aerial recon like I had mentioned before." I answered with a certain bit of smugness.

"Oh partner, you're so smart." Temari said sarcastically as she playfully shoved me. "You know you should just up and take the major's rank and sew it on your uniform since you seem to know all the answers."

"Tch. Troublesome woman..."

"Oh yeah I forgot, you're still too lazy to want any leadership."

"Again Temari...troublesome woman you are."

The two planes got even closer as they soon roared above the HQ. Everyone below started hooting, hollering, and cheering as they made their pass above us and split in two different directions.

"Hey Shino, any idea what those planes are? I figured you would know." Tenten asked.

"They're F-3 Havoc planes...aerial reconnaissance. Why they're so close to us I haven't the foggiest though..."

"Oh yeah," our recent revelation coming back to me again, "I forgot to tell ya guys that Temari, Kiba, LT Uzuki and I saw a rather scary sight."

"Well please Corporal Nara," sternly said Sarutobi, "do tell."

"You guys aren't gonna like it, but we saw a makeshift airstrip with about ten or twelve Sound Luftwaffe planes being prepped." The aura of apprehensiveness enveloped everyone that heard what I said as if I was the harbinger of doom.

"Get the fuck out..." Sasuke uttered in shock.

"I shit you not Sasuke. It's gonna be a fucking bumpy ride here in the Grass Nation now and that's not all. There's also some big bad tank group called the Akatsuki Panzer Lehr."

"What the fuck is the Panzer Lehr?" Sasuke inquired ever so eloquently.

"I'm not one hundred percent sure but according to the ANBU LT over there, big bad motherfuckers that will ruin our day if we don't take them out."

"I've heard rumors of them." Shino said as he walked into our conversation circle. "The armored demons of the Sound that mercilessly cut through foolish enemies like wheat before the scythe."

"Great...just fucking great..." Sergeant Morino whined. Usually he was stoic in the face of a challenge, but I had always heard from Tenten and Neji that he was sometimes scared shitless from armor, especially big tanks like this alleged "Sharkskin" of this infamous Major Kisame Hoshigake.

Trying to change the subject, I signaled to our Grass colleagues to come by. Tobi gleefully skipped towards us while his friend Itachi just sauntered over. "Um guys well on a lighter note I'd like to introduce you to some new friends of ours. Ladies and gents, meet Tobi and Itachi, partisans of the Grass Nation."

The guys said their hellos and shook hands. Sasuke approached them and for a slight second a weird feeling came over me, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was though.

"Heya...name's Sasuke Uchiha."

"Hiya Sasuke. I'm Tobi and this Itachi. Say you look kinda familiar..."

"I could say the same thing. Have I seen you two before?" For a second the air was slightly tense as Sakura, Sasuke, and the others were feeling slightly awkward.

"I don't think we've ever run across each other. I must say though it's like lookin' into a mirror. Handsome devil!" Tobi answered while pretending to flex as if he was really in a mirror. A few chuckles came out of the crowd. I had to give it to him he knew how to lighten the situation.

"Ha. All right...yeah silly me." Sasuke replied lightheartedly. "Looks familiar..." I caught him whisper under his breath as he looked down at the ground.

"I love this guy! He's hilarious!" Kiba exclaimed. Shino just stood there stone-faced.

"Hey! How're ya doin' shades? And what's your name?"

"Shino Aburame...charmed..." His face stayed grim. Apparently Shino wasn't amused by Tobi's antics nor Itachi's reserved look in his general direction.

"Jeez Shino...ya mind being a little more gracious to our new pals?"

"Sorry...I'm just not feeling so well right now."

"Ah no worries chum! From the looks of it you could use a bite to eat and a nap."

"Right." He turned around and walked towards Hinata and Naruto. Temari and I decided to follow him.

"Hey Shino!" I yelled.

"Shikamaru...what's up?"

"Hey Shino...something wrong? Usually you're quite cordial and eloquent with people. Those people rub you the wrong way or something?"

"What? Oh nothing...sorry for my apparent rudeness. I'm not sure, but I got a very funny feeling when I saw those people, especially the one named Itachi. I dunno...you said they were partisans but I still feel rather apprehensive."

"Apprehensive?" Temari inquired.

"It could just be a combination of things. First the Luftwaffe, then this Panzer Lehr that I've heard about, and then these two people show up out of the blue and with no apparent suspicion from Major Shizune or the other commanders, and speaking of which halfway through their talking they were eyeballing Captain Hatake. Why were there only two of them as well?"

"Well Shino I still think they could be just representatives."

"That could be true Ms. Temari, but I don't know about them. When I saw you and the Sand resistance there were a whole lot of you." He huffed. "I'm sorry...this is silly. I think for once I might be thinking

much."

"Ha. It's all good Shino. Geniuses like us think too much but I was fortunate to be able to counter it with my apathy."

"Certainly an admirable quality there Shikamaru." He commented with a slight snigger. "You know, speaking of apprehensive I do hope those Havocs spotted that airstrip so that they can bomb the place to kingdom come. Lord knows the last thing we want is for them to get an early start."

"I'll drink to that." Temari said. "I'm starting to think you should join my partner Shikamaru here and go work in intelligence."

Shino was about to open his mouth when I raised my hand to stop him. "Just...just don't bother with her Shino. She's too troublesome to explain yourself to her." Right after my commentary she graciously bestowed a well placed punch to the arm upon me.

"Well anyway...we should get back with the rest of the guys Shino. I think it'd be all right to just let Hinata and Naruto have their time together even if Naruto might be completely drug-addled."

We all laughed once again at the misfortune of poor Naruto. If there was a picture definition of schadenfreude, you'd see his silly mug on there with a guy like me pointing and laughing. We walked back where the first sergeant and the captain were talking to the Grass partisans. I rarely went against my cynic ways, but the suspicion that Shino had about those two, I could've sworn was making an attempt to crawl into my psyche.

"Ah! Corporal Nara!" The familiar voice of the first sergeant bellowed through the crowd and right into my eardrums. I turned and stood completely still.

"First sergeant?"

"C'mon over here! I heard you and some of your friends went through quite a scrap to escape the Soundies. Heard Private Inuzuka dodged a Sound StuG that was hot on your trails. Too bad we lost a Jeep but fantastic that no one died. Damn fine work all of you...just goin' to show ya the vigor of Konoha's youth...and Suna's!" He praised, adding that last part the second he saw Temari who just turned and blushed in flattery. "With bravery and gusto like that we'll tear these Soundies a new one in no time!" It was always typical of the first sergeant to go off on nigh-propagandist rants like that but I just dealt with it.

"Well quite some interesting developments that have been going on the second we stroll in the Grass Nation. It's as if we're the catalyst to everything that goes on here huh?" The captain mused. "Well anyway, I'm glad to see you are all ok even if some are worse for wear like PFC Uzumaki over there, but at least PFC Hyuga is there to treat him."

"Right sir...treat..."

"Now about those planes Corporal Nara...were you and your colleagues able to figure out just what kind of planes they had at that improvised airfield?"

What kind of a question was that? First off we were getting shot at from all directions and second I couldn't take too much time to analyze each fucking plane. Figures some officers and NCOs will try and pry information out of you through the most unrealistic demands, and then get pissed when you've got less than what they want.

"Well sir, I could tell they looked like fighter-bombers and maybe an interceptor or two. What kinds specifically I cannot say...I'm sorry sir."

"No it's all right corporal. You and your friends have been through a little slice of hell in our opening debut so I'll cut you some slack. I sure hope those planes find that airfield. The last thing we want is a wild goose chase which would then give the Sound the perfect opportunity to strike at our weak points with that air firepower accompanied by that damned Panzer Lehr the Rangers were squawking about."

"No worries sir...they'll find the planes and we'll blunt that sword they call a Panzer elite."

One of the HQ adjutants busted through the front door and ran near the captain.

"Sergeant! What's the story?" The captain barked.

"Sir! Recon planes haven't picked up anything near the vicinity of the Jeep convoy! They found a large stretch of dirt but that's about it!"

"Oh shit...Temari..." I muttered as a lump in my throat the size of an apple appeared.

"Oh no...this is not good."

Suddenly a flood of human traffic flowed right by us as we turned to see them congregate around the company radios, the operators feverishly fiddling with the knobs trying to get something through as loud screams and explosions were heard through the radios.

"Say again! I repeat, say again! We cannot hear you at all!" One of 2nd Platoon's operators screamed through the hand receiver. Temari and I rushed towards the commotion, my heart pumping faster than it should've been.

"

fucking everywhere! F...

ing Tigers everywhere! Oh

we're getting

...ed!" It sounded as if the apocalypse was happening wherever that was. "To any...

...hear this, we need assis...

. OH SHIT IN...

bom...

! WE...

...HELP! OH GOD!"

"Give us your coordinates, over!"

The radio was dead, save for some loud static.

"Come in over! Are you there? Come in over!"

Again all that we heard was static. Everyone started murmuring to each other and I could feel the collective nervousness of the crowd.

"What the fuck was that? What happened?"

"What's going on?"

"Who was that?"

A loud slam emerged as Major Shizune flung the door wide open. We all turned to see her face covered in shock and paralyzing fear, her pupils quite large and her hands shaking.

"Oh dear Lord...not them." I heard Shino mutter as he shook while rubbing his prayer beads.

"Ma'am!" The captain yelled. "What was that all about? What on earth happened ma'am?"

"That was George Company...they've been completely wiped out."


	24. Chapter 24

"Are you serious ma'am?!?" The first sergeant was dumbfounded. Usually an extremely confident man, even he was shaken up to hear the destruction of an entire infantry company. In fact the whole company was rather shaken up. Not a squad, not a platoon, but a whole company...around two hundred soldiers, men and women, annihilated, just like that. The loss of a single soldier in our company or in our army was always a tragedy, but a rout was like salt on a fresh wound. The crowd erupted in loud gasps and more than audible murmurs wondering how such a thing could happen to what we thought was the big, bad Leaf Army.

"I don't play fucking practical jokes on people in fucking matters such as this first sergeant!" She yelled taking the first sergeant's questioning as a personal insult. "Fuck…"

"I'm sorry ma'am. I meant no insult to your intelligence." He retracted his original surprised stance into one more of shame, though he knew he wasn't in the wrong. It was just the proper thing for an NCO to do for an officer.

She put her hands to her face and pulled them downwards letting out a deep sigh. "No…no it's all right first sergeant. I'm just still in shock."

"Who could've done such a thing?" 2LT Lee asked aloud.

"I think I have a pretty good idea…" I muttered underneath my breath.

"It was that God damn Panzer Lehr wasn't it? Fuck…" Toyama moaned. Those of us who were around LT Uzuki of the ANBU Rangers knew that was the most likely scenario.

Sergeant Morino was puzzled. "What I don't understand is how on God's green earth were they able to attack out of nowhere and just obliterate one of our own without any detection or sign. I mean, did we not know of their existence? Where the hell was George Company going anyway and what pray tell were they doing?"

Sergeant Yamato turned to answer him. "Ibiki, word on the street was that they were on assignment to flush out pockets of Sound resistance after an initial skirmish with a Sound task force. George smashed through them with ease and was fixing to flush them out of hiding about thirty-five to forty kilometers southwest of the HQ. Then this shitstorm landed on them out of left field…fuck…even I wouldn't have seen it coming. It's almost like those Soundies were laying down a…"

"Pincer trap…" Temari and I muttered in almost unison as we turned to each other. How could we have been so careless? The Sound infantry was a fucking piece of bait and they bit right into it. I had assumed that George Company had gotten too excited with its assault on the Soundies that they fell into an age-old trap as those accursed Panzer Lehr units along with infantry reinforcements tore them to shreds after most likely encircling them. They never had a chance and even if someone like Baker Company or our Air Corps fighters reached them to assist, it'd be too little, too late and we'd suffer even worse losses at the hands of an already mobilized Sound force. They got us and got us badly and there was nothing we could've done to prevent it.

"Guys," Kiba said approaching us with the look of utter apprehensiveness on his face, "would it be stupid of me to think that those tanks weren't the only ones who got to them, as in something that we just happened to conveniently spot during our 'joyride' through the Grass countryside found its way into this little disastrous mix?"

I nodded. "No Kiba, no it wouldn't be stupid at all. In fact, those planes might've just been what the Sound needed to get the drop on George Company in case the Panzer Lehr met some tough resistance from George. Like the twist of a bayonet blade to finish the job, those damned Luftwaffe planes were probably the last piece to finish them off. No regular infantry would stand a chance against a three-pronged assault from infantry, an elite Panzer group, and a God damn tactical air squadron!" The more I thought about it the more it absolutely frustrated me.

"But we cannot be absolutely sure that the Sound Luftwaffe flew to that specific location." Shino suggested.

"Yeah that's a possibility Shino, not a likely possibility but one nonetheless." I was quick to try and dismiss Shino's theory since I was always that worst-case scenario kind of guy. "Then again I thought I heard the man say something about being bombed. Now we know tanks don't bomb locations or people so I'm still believing it could've been those damn planes that Kiba, Temari and I saw!"

I had reason to believe that Shino was more or less just trying to just see the best case scenario in all of this, for lack of a better description.

Just when we thought the trouble was over for our forces, the radio went alive with another panicked transmission. It had sounded as if there was less overall commotion going on, but the voice was just as panicked and loud.

"This is Air Sight One to HQ, come in over!"

Major Shizune rushed to the HQ radios that were stationed outside. They had a radio command group inside but time was of the essence. "This is Major Shizune of HQ, give me your status Air Sight One!"

"HQ we're in some serious trouble and need interceptor assistance now! Sound interceptors are on my tail and are nipping me apart! Fuckers came outta nowhere! I need assistance now over!"

"What is your location Air Sight One? We'll send interceptors ASAP! Corporal "

The faint sound of an explosion was heard through the radio chatter. "We're at location EX 41…shit! We've been hit! We've been hit! Mayday, mayday! We're going down!" The pilot was freaking out as I could only imagine his plane being peppered again and again by Sound fighters and then watching you plummet to the ground, the very agony of the inevitable approaching.

"Air Sight One come in! Come in over!"

"Mayday! Mayday! Shit…we're dead!" The panicked voice screamed to Major Shizune. A few seconds later it felt as if the sky let out a huge thunderclap as it was most likely the Havoc reconnaissance plane that hit the ground.

"Jesus Christ…Air Sight Two pull back to home station NOW!"

"Oh fuck...was that One? Jesus we gotta bug out! Radar's picking up multiple contacts...shit...this is not good HQ!" The pilot yelled as she was most likely spooked by her comrade's quick demise.

"What is it Air Sight Two?"

"Ma'am!" One of the adjutants screamed bursting out of the door. "We've got a problem."

"What is it lieutenant?"

"We've got multiple radar contacts flying in northeast direction...towards the HQ!"

I felt my own heart sink down to my intestines as I was sure the rest of the HQ felt the same way. I grabbed Temari's hand and squeezed it unreasonably hard like it would provide me some sort of comfort. This was not going to be good.

Major Shizune just had a dead state on her face as she dropped the receiver. A blank, empty void replaced where her eyes were.

"HQ...HQ come in! HQ? HQ this is Air Sight Two do you copy?" The voice rang out as the receiver and its cord dangled back and forth above the grass.

"Ma'am? Ma'am, are you ok?" Captain Hatake screamed at her as he rushed up and tried to shake some sense into her.

"Storm's a comin' guys...better hunker down." Her voice was calm if not slightly monotone. It's as if she was oblivious to the hellfire that was about to come down on us and of all the people it shouldn't have happened to it was happening to her. The stress was just piling up on her. First the Panzer Lehr, then the Sound Luftwaffe, then George Company, and now she just lost one of her aerial recon planes. It was just too much death under her supervision and authority to bear. "Comin' in mighty fast wouldn't ya say there?"

"MA'AM! SNAP OUT OF IT! WE NEED TO ACT NOW OR WE'RE ALL DEAD!" The captain roared to her while shaking her to the point of snapping her neck. It seemed to work as she got out of her apparent funk and shook her head in disbelief.

"Captain Hatake...oh my God! You guys have to get out of here! Sergeant, send the message to any and all units to watch for the Panzer Lehr. Corporal," she barked as she pointed to another radio operator, "get me the status on those interceptors from Colonel Tsunade!"

"Yes ma'am!" They answered in unison.

"How much longer until the Sound planes get to our location lieutenant?"

"I'm not one hundred percent sure ma'am, but if I had a hazard to guess they'll be here in almost ten minutes!"

"Shit! Attention all units, get to cover on the double and I want all anti-aircraft guns manned and ready! Those Soundie fucks think they'll sneak up on us like a thief in the night well they have got another thing coming!"

The air raid siren rang loud and long throughout the HQ. At first everyone inside the HQ, in the motor pool, the staging area, and medical centers ran around like chickens with their heads cut off but after a minute or two of guidance the anti-aircraft flak guns were manned and ready while the rest of us were prepping to get to somewhere.

"Sergeant," I yelled to Sarutobi, "where the hell are we gonna go?" It sounded like a stupid question but honestly I hadn't a clue as to where we should be running off too. We didn't have a direct location as to where we can go to dodge the Luftwaffe planes and without running right into those dreaded Panzer Lehr pricks.

"Anywhere but here Nara. If we stay here it'll be like shooting fish in a fuckin' barrel for them. Hey Yamanaka! Get the wounded to the trucks and then high-tail it with the rest of the squad. We gotta get leaving now!"

"Hey! What's that?" One of the soldiers from 1st Platoon asked aloud as she pointed towards four small dots in the sky that were getting bigger by the minute.

"Oh shit…not good! NOT GOOD!" Sergeant Mitarashi yelled as the dots were no longer dots. Thick horizontal lines started sticking out of them as the familiar low, droning noises of propeller engines came into earshot. They certainly didn't sound like planes that were familiar to our Air Corps which only made the tension that much higher.

Lee popped open his binoculars and gazed through and in a rare sight, actually trembled involuntarily as if his nerves just went ballistic. "Nope…not good at all Sergeant Mitarashi…" he muttered with that uneasy calm that Major Shizune just had. "Sergeant Yamato, I want everyone getting the hell out of here…now!"

"But what about the HQ sir?"

"Ma'am?"

"Captain Hatake, get your company and the Rangers you rescued to somewhere safe. Take the two Grass partisans with you since they say they know a safe town that you can garrison your soldiers in."

"But ma'am, what about you? We can't leave you here!"

"No. I have to stay here with my soldiers and fight off the Sound. I can get to the raid bunker in time but we cannot provide enough cover for your own people. You have to get out of here captain! With luck the Air Corps will be arriving shortly!"

"Roger that ma'am. Listen up Fox Company! I want any and all quad .50 cal halftracks to concentrate fire on those planes if they get too close. We will not be sitting ducks for those assholes!"

"Captain!" Tobi shouted out. "I believe my comrade Itachi and I should ride in your vehicle to show you the way to the closest town where our resistance can help you."

"I appreciate the help but I'll have to stick you in with 1st Platoon's command vehicle. I need my Jeep for the me, my gunner, and my adjutants."

"But Captain Hatake…I believe it'd be best if we could directly communicate with you face to face." He pleaded to the captain.

"I cannot take the risk of having us all killed should the Sound get lucky. You know where to lead my soldiers and link up with the rest of the Grass fighters. I'm sorry but that's the way it is."

Tobi nodded. "Of course captain...I understand. Let's get moving Itachi."

"Right behind you."

Shino and I caught the look of slight frustration on their faces which made us somewhat suspicious but given the fact they knew a supposedly safer place for us than here I was willing to still put my faith in those two.

"We'll see where this carries Shino."

"Indeed we will, but in the mean time we need to carry ourselves out of here."

"Anko!" Sarutobi yelled to Sergeant Mitarashi. "Get the last of your guys and let's get the fuck out of here!"

"Right! C'mon get Uzumaki in the halftrack now before we're dead!" She yelled to Konohamaru who just nodded and with some slight assistance from Hinata got him on his feet and double-timed it to the 4th squad truck. They slid him on and laid him on the truck bed.

"All right! Nara, Yamanaka, Temari, get with me and the rest now! We don't have any time left! Let's go!"

We sprinted towards the truck as we watched Naruto get loaded on the truck.

"Oh shit they're firing! Get down!" Sakura screamed as one of the Sound fighters made a strafing run and tore up the medical tent as it flew overhead. Our flak cannons and quad machine gun trucks returned fire but to no avail. We were fortunate to get Naruto and the rest of the wounded out otherwise they'd have been torn to shreds.

"We got another one firing! Stay the fuck down!" Sasuke accompanied Sakura and a couple other NCOs as the next Sound plane made a strafing run right into the HQ building, putting holes the size of bowling balls into the walls and shattering the glass. It turned to drop its ordnance right on one of the anti-aircraft positions. As the panicked crew fumbled to escape the payload detonated directly on it, launching the lucky ones into the air and engulfing one poor sap in flames as his comrades tried to put him out. "Fuck! INCOMING!" Sasuke screamed again as the third plane dropped its payload right into our truck formation. The bomb whistled for a second and slammed right into an unmanned 75mm cannon truck, sending shrapnel and spouts of flaming oil everywhere.

"Fucking assholes just love to ruin our new toys!" Sergeant Mitarashi moaned as she was just getting used to our new mobile arsenal now being torn apart from the Sound. "Oh fuck here they come again!" After just dropping its ordnance on one of our trucks it decided to try and tear another one to bits with its machine guns. One unlucky guy from 3rd Platoon was trying to run when his left leg was shot completely off by the plane's guns. He let out a slight scream in agony before another round blew out his chest. I saw Asano nearly vomit. The fourth plane sent a stream of bullets right in front of us that felled one of Sakura's engineers and nearly clipped one of the medics before she managed to dive for cover. As the fourth one passed the third plane which had killed a couple of our guys tried to shoot at us again. Streams of tracer fire went right towards it as it went right for us.

"Oh shit! It's gonna hit us!" Nakamura yelled as its bullets began to hit the ground about a hundred meters in front of us. Suddenly a streak of anti-aircraft fire clipped its wing while one of the surviving flak cannons struck its tail. The Sound plane buckled, turned to the side and plummeted down to the ground landing in the wood line near the HQ. A massive fireball erupted as we cheered our triumph over one of the aerial monsters.

"That's it! We are outta here right now Fox Company!" First Sergeant Guy screamed over the chaos as we crammed as best we could into whatever vehicles we could use and sped off. Our quad machine gun trucks still spat fire at the attacking Sound aircraft but was only managed to clip the planes. They were too fast for our guns.

"That does it 3rd squad we are fucking leaving!" Sarutobi said to us all as the hatch was shut and our trucks sped off as quickly as possible. I saw the three planes continuing to pound the daylights out of the garrison HQ area but to my comfort and most likely the comfort of Fox Company I also saw Major Shizune get to the raid bunker in time. It would've been a huge blow to our command and morale if she had been killed out in the open. We had gotten about a quarter to a half mile from the HQ when I turned to see one of them stalking us.

"Oh shit on a shingle," Temari screamed, "this one's got a grudge and a big one at that!"

"Get that fire on that plane before it filets us!" The first sergeant ordered through the radio as the canvas-ripping sounds of our machine guns did their best to scare the fighter-bomber away. It didn't seem to work as it had its cannons roar and tear up the ground to the left of one of the trucks which managed to dodge its fire by swerving erratically. It flew right overhead as I bet almost everyone with a rifle or machine gun tried to paste that cocky Sound pilot who was hounding us with murderous intent. It had banked to the right and attempted another pass. Again another stream of bullets tore the ground and then right into the front of one of the Jeeps of 3rd Platoon, causing the vehicle to catch on fire and explode with the crew getting barely enough time to leap out to safety. The worst part was that now one or two of the company convoy would have to stop, bail out, and evacuate them before they become a tempting and fat kill for the Soundies. Two of them screeched to a halt as about eight soldiers hopped off the halftracks to find them and carry them aboard. The Sound fighter had seen this and I bet the pilot's mouth salivated at such an offering. It banked around again to try and make another pass.

"Get the fuck moving guys!" 3rd Platoon's platoon sergeant barked over the radio chatter. "We've got incoming and he's out for blood!"

The sudden dread that those guys sent to help the downed Jeep were dead meat but to our surprised as the Sound fighter began to fire on us a hot stream of tracer rounds slammed into the left side of its hull and shattered half of the cockpit glass. It careened overhead as black smoke sputtered from its front engine and propeller wailing as it passed by. A second later a massive roar and another fireball erupted as we had been saved once more from a grisly fate.

"Talk about a bail out! Damn flyboys always show up at the last minute and they'll probably be expecting the credit too huh?" Sarutobi mused out loud.

"Oh thank God I came in just in time!" A faintly familiar voice emerged into the chatter. "Fox Company this is Captain Morino of the 102nd Fighter Wing. Are you all right? Jesus, that sure was a close encounter if I do say so myself."

"Yeah..." the captain paused for a few seconds trying to get a hold of himself, "yeah we're ok here Idate. I appreciate your help since it seems we're gonna need all the help we can get."

"We got the distress call from Major Shizune and Colonel Tsunade concerning the damned Luftwaffe and Akatsuki Panzer Lehr. We got here as fast as we could! I'm really sorry about what happened to George Company."

"It's all right Idate. We didn't know either. It seems the Sound forces still have some tricks up their sleeves but we'll do what we can to make them pay for it."

Temari and I turned back to the HQ where about five other interceptors from the Air Corps were quickly engaging the two Sound fighter-bombers. By the time the Air Corps had arrived the Sound planes had quickly devastated the area and nearly sent the HQ building toppling. One of the planes had finished another strafing run that ruined another flak cannon position before two of our flyers picked it apart with cannon fire and sent it spiraling to the ground. The last surviving fighter had finished dropping a bomb on the motor pool which destroyed one of the M8 Greyhounds there. Knowing full well there were five P-51 Mustang fighters hot on its trail it tried to bug out with the damage it and its now deceased comrades made to our base of operations. It tried bobbing and weaving past the fire but after about a minute of a noble attempt it was no match for the sheer numbers that we had as its rear was struck and it sputtered down to the ground. We collectively breathed a sigh of relief as the air threat was neutralized and in such proper timing too.

"Sir, the last bogey's been shot down. The HQ is secure."

"Good work men. We made those bastards pay big time. HQ, this is Angel Flight One, the compound is secure and all aerial threats have been neutralized. Awaiting your orders HQ..." Captain Morino's Mustang flew overhead as it went around in a protective circular pattern over our vehicles. Sure it was only one Mustang but the Soundies knew that there was never just one Air Corps flyer in the air by him or herself.

The voice of Major Shizune was slightly panicked and was breathing heavily. Then again who could blame her when it was probably her first time under actual attack where she was up close and personal to the enemy and with death. "You couldn't have come at a better time Captain Morino. Scan the area and make sure there are no other threats nearby. We can't take a full assault right now so I need you and your fighters to do what you can to scare any incoming Soundies off. In the meantime I'll send the wire to Baker Company and King Company to get here as soon as possible to defend."

"How bad is the damage ma'am?"

"Not good...if you hadn't shown up and we were particularly unlucky we'd have been smashed to bits. We lost some AA guns and the medical tents and motor pool got damaged. Honestly I don't think we could take another assault."

"Well don't worry ma'am me an' the boys will watch over you until they come. We've got enough fuel and ordnance to give the Soundies a wallop should they get cocky."

"Thank you again captain. We'll rebound from this. Fox Company continue with your present course and head to the village the Grass partisans spoke of."

"HQ is there anything else you need assistance with? Do you need us to go back?" Our company was already bucking it down the roads and to have us all turn back would've been incredibly troublesome, but then that's just my opinion.

"Negative Fox. We have confirmation from Baker Company that they'll reach us in fifteen minutes. You get going all right?"

"But…"

"No buts Kakashi. You have a job and an order and I expect you to carry it out. We'll be fine."

"Yes ma'am. All right, Leaf 1 get the Grass partisans to direct your trucks towards the village. We will follow close by." With that we zoomed away from the scarred land of the HQ. The fires of the bombed buildings and downed aircraft were still in sight from about a mile away. We had just escaped what could've been a huge shitstorm that had the possibility to reduce us to about the same numbers we had in Takigakure or worse.

"Well…let's hope that where we're heading to isn't nearly as worse as where we just were, and that was smack dab in friendly fucking territory." said Nakamura who clung feverishly to his B.A.R.

"Yeah…no shit private. Seems that the second Fox Company steps into the land things go to shit…like we're cursed or something." Sarutobi added. It was certainly something that most of us didn't want to hear. I wasn't really a superstitious guy and neither was Temari. The whole concept was troublesome and kind of silly for the both of us but what she said before back in the Waterfall Nation about bad omens rang somewhat true. If and when they were around the corner I got that funny feeling in my bones and she did too. Sometimes the reality of me being a pessimist and/or cynic pissed me off, but then I would always tell myself it'd be better to be one of those two than an optimist. Back home when I was younger and something didn't go as I expected, hell the most I'd ever be is surprised unlike Ino or Naruto who'd bitch and moan. Talk about annoying…

It had been about twenty-five minutes to a half-hour that we were turning left and right along the dirt roads, the drivers trying their hardest to keep a low profile. After what happened to poor George Company and how the Sound Luftwaffe decided to try and have a turkey shoot with our HQ and us, the last thing we wanted was to send an invitation to the Soundies for a little hoedown.

"How much farther to the town Itachi?" The captain asked over the radio.

There was a slight pause. "Captain, the town is just a little more than five kilometers. Once we get there we'll drive right into town and we should be meeting with the liaisons there. Does that sound good to you?"

"Hmmm…well it's not far but I cannot risk bunching up the vehicles in such tight streets should Sound armor or aircraft get close by. We'll dismount while keeping the anti-tank and quad gun halftracks alongside the edges of the entrance should we be followed. 1st and 4th Platoons will dismount first and advance while 2nd and 3rd follow close behind. I'm not risking anything right now…"

"Are you sure captain? I'm sure already being mounted would be more advantageous for your troops should we come under enemy fire." It was strange they were being rather argumentative towards our captain when if anything they should be appreciative towards our help. Like Shino some thoughts raced through my mind whether they were being more of a hindrance then a help.

"You two haven't been fighting against the Soundies for very long have you? I appreciate your concern Itachi, but remember you and your associate Tobi are guests in my company. I'm still the commander so I still make the decisions and the decision that I am making is that we will be dismounting outside and moving tactically into town on foot."

"Right...of course. My apologies captain."

The town was in range as we reached the apex of the small hill our trucks were climbing. It looked like about a fifteen to maybe twenty building place, pockmarked by former battles as small craters and the remains of dead livestock littered the small farms on the outskirts. The town looked like it had been abandoned a while ago, probably right after the Sound took the nation over. There was very little sign of life which made some of the guys all the more apprehensive.

"The place looks like a shithole! You mean we're gonna garrison in there?" Nazuka complained. I just scowled at him while Sarutobi did the same.

"Ok kid. You want the five-star hotel? Then hop the fuck off and go find one!" He snarled towards Nazuka for such grousing. Shocked by the display of anger, Nazuka jerked back and just looked at me or Choji for sympathy. Choji just turned to him and sighed.

"Look pal, we've been in this shit much longer than you have. We've slept in trenches, in the rain, in the heat, and in far worse buildings than this. Don't look too much into it. If I were a newbie again I'd say the same thing but I'm not so all I can say is just suck it up."

"Roger..." It was all he could say. I remember Sarutobi telling me that Nazuka was the more boisterous and arrogant one of the new recruits. I hope that he lasts long enough through this war to learn that in scenarios like these, it's not his way or the high way.

"Captain," now Tobi's voice rang through the speaker, "we'll be approaching the outskirts of the town and dismounting per your instructions. Itachi and I will be near the front of your formation so we can signal the rest of the fighters. They'll most likely be inside the buildings as to not attract any unwanted Sound reconnaissance."

"Understood. First Sergeant, stay to the rear of 1st and 4th while I stay with 2nd and 3rd. I want everyone at full alert. It seems the Sound have the penchant to play dirty tricks here in the Grass Nation so we can't be caught with our pants down."

"Yes sir! All right guys, you heard the captain!" The first sergeant always had a tendency to get a little loud and borderline obnoxious when relaying the captain's orders. "I want fingers on every trigger and eyes on the horizons. No Panzer Lehr fucks are gonna get the best of Fox Company."

Tobi interrupted. "Um Captain Hatake, do you need to take such a defensive posture? I mean, we're entering friendly territory. I will say that the communication has been rather silent for a day or two but that's probably an effort from this station to not get picked up by the Sound."

"It's not territory that HQ or anyone else in the Leaf Army marked on the map so unless it has got the Konoha flag flying atop a building I'm not convinced."

"I understand how you'd be tense given the loss of one of your units. I still believe that there shouldn't be any Sound threats."

"We'll see Tobi...we'll see."

"All right 3rd squad, and our newly acquired friends, we've got one minute left before dismount!" Sarutobi yelled to us and of course the Rangers crammed in with us. They were all below Sarutobi's rank so there was no complaining out of them. That's one of the biggest things I respected Sarutobi for. He had the innate ability to have command presence with us and even with people not in his own squad, along with garnering their respect. It worked for the Water forces when we fought alongside them and it worked for the Rangers as well. Tough as nails, realistic, intelligent, but as laid back as I could be, you could say I almost had a child-like admiration for Sergeant Sarutobi. "Nara, you lead with the first fire team of Temari, Akimichi, and Nakamura. I'll take Toyama, Sugiyama, Yamanaka, and Asano. We'll be behind 1st and 4th Platoons so we'll be more of support in case the Soundies try and attack from the front." Of course I didn't really like it whenever he started placing me in those leadership spots I despised oh so much. Despite my admiration for the man, I hated it how he was so dead set on the notion that I had this "potential" that I found all too troublesome.

"Sergeant, what about us?" The Rangers asked.

"Well...you can link up with us if you want but I'm sure when we dismount your LT will be looking for you so it'd be better to just find her."

"Roger that sergeant."

"All units, prepare to dismount!" The radio chatter intensified as the platoons were letting the commander know they were ready.

Suddenly the trucks went right into a halt right outside the town. True to the captain's plan, we had dismounted before we got even near the buildings of the town. I went first along with Nakamura, Sugiyama and Temari who I helped down. Following us came Sarutobi, Asano, Nazuka, Choji, Toyama, and Ino. The Rangers that had dismounted after all of 3rd squad scampered off to find LT Uzuki and the rest of their ilk. I saw 4th squad dismounting as well but sans Naruto who was probably not fit for any type of combat for another few hours.

"Careful now 3rd squad. Those two Grass guys say we're in good hands but keep sharp." The sergeant warned us.

I noticed Shino from the corner of my eye as we both watched the two Grass partisans Tobi and Itachi walk alongside 1st and 4th platoons.

"Still got that funny feeling Shino?"

"As always Shikamaru. I'm not one for paranoia but I'm rather uneasy about this whole thing."

"I hope for both our sakes we're wrong."

As we all dismounted and formed up I watched 1st and 4th Platoon creep ever so carefully towards the first set of buildings. Everything looked ok but I had a strange feeling come over me, like we were being watched.

"Temari..."

"Yeah Shikamaru?"

"You remember what you said about bad omens?"

"Yeah why?"

"I'm getting that feeling."

"Oh thank God...I thought I was the only one outside of maybe that Shino guy." She grinned slightly and tapped me on the shoulder as we both walked slowly towards the town. Wreckage from previous battle stuck out like sore thumbs given the atmosphere. But from the looks of it they looked like Water tanks. My rifle along with hers was scanning nervously, looking for any signs of trouble. The painful reminder of the ambush at Kumogakure taught me never to let my guard down even if it was no one in my squad that paid the price.

"We're almost there." Tobi announced to the platoons as he and Itachi crept their way closer to the front of the formation. Despite their efforts we insisted that they stay in the middle as to help protect them in case of something bad happening. He turned to us and smiled that goofy grin of his. He pointed to three armed figures that were standing atop a three-story building that was behind the first set near the center. "Ah excellent! There they are! AHOY THERE!" He yelled to the three of them who gave a faint wave back.

"Sergeant...they don't look too excited about us being here."

"Just go with it Nara. We'll find out what's up."

"They don't look to pleased Tobi. Is something the matter?" Sergeant Yamato asked.

"I have no idea sergeant. Let's take a closer look." He waved us on as we got closer to where the three of them were standing. My mind went on red alert as I thought I saw some strange movement behind some of the windows.

"Temari did you catch that?"

She turned to me rather puzzled. "What are you talking about?"

"I coulda sworn I saw something through the windows. Take a look."

She quickly peered through her scope and jerked her rifle around just like I did. "You're not alone now, partner. I thought I just saw something as well."

"It's all right friends," Itachi said to everyone as they were already on edge, "we have more fighters inside. Don't be alarmed."

Closer and closer we got to the buildings, tactically moving through the brick walls and shrubbery. I didn't take the time to look at the other partisans atop the building, but I had a funny feeling. "_Why aren't they coming out to greet us? The least they would be is happy to see an allied nation walking around right in their neighborhood_..."

1st Platoon stayed on course while 4th Platoon veered slightly to the right. Itachi and Tobi stayed with 1st to accompany them through. The Rangers kept a close formation right in between them to cover the gaps. I couldn't help but take a closer look at the fighters that were atop the building near the center. I took a look though my scope and saw something rather unnatural in their faces. It looked as if they were displaying almost false comfort and content.

"Something's wrong Shino," I muttered to him, "something's not right at all." He just turned to me and nodded in agreement.

"Keep it down Nara!" Sarutobi barked.

"No sergeant I'm serious...something is definitely not right looking at those Grass guys on top." Even Tobi and Itachi looked slightly puzzled by the strange display, as if they were wondering the same things that I was. Did you ever get that feeling that things just weren't in place the way you wanted them to be? Did you ever get that wrenching in your stomach and the weird feeling in your chest outside of our heart that could set your body into panic mode in a split-second? Well...the feelings that were going on inside were no different.

I peered through the scope once more and saw one carrying the worst fake smile I've seen in years. Beads of sweat trickled down his face as it seemed he couldn't take whatever was going on any more and screamed to us. He flailed his arms as if he was signaling us to go back.

"LEAVE! GET OUTTA HERE NOW! THEY'RE ALREADY HERE!"

What in the hell was going on here?

"What's that guy doing?" Sugiyama inquired. Pretty soon the second and third partisans were doing the same thing with the same panicked look on their faces. "Sergeant?" She asked nervously.

"I don't know private..." He was just as confused.

"Oh shit..." Temari muttered. "I've seen this before..."

"THEY'RE HERE! THE SOUND IS H..." With little warning the three screamed partisans sprayed blood all over as they looked as if they were shot from behind and from the side. Two of them spun around and collapsed on the roof while the other fell right off.

"FUCK! DID YOU SEE THAT?" Sasuke yelled out.

"OH SHIT! IT'S A TRAP!" Tobi bellowed as he dove towards the nearest available cover. Closed windows burst wide open as our company was staring down the barrels of several MG42 positions and the eyes of Soundies that were waiting all day for something like this to happen. The first few shots cut down a couple of our own from 4th Platoon as shocked faces covered most of the company along with cries to seek cover. The whizzing of bullets screamed into our company formation as two more from 1st platoon went down. Another was clipped in the leg and was luckily pulled to safety by their medics. I knew it was only going to go downhill from here.

A rocket screamed through one of the windows and slammed into the ground right near 2nd squad. Hinata and Kiba were thrown back a few feet but managed to get right back up as the shrapnel had luckily missed them. Another rocket slammed right in front of a small group of Rangers, killing one of them on the spot while sending shrapnel into a couple of others who went down yelling in agony. The halftracks behind us sprayed away with their guns but produced only a few confirmed kills. Our shocked Grass companions fired the best they could into the people that slaughtered their comrades but with little success.

"God damn it Nara...why do you have to be right with your suspicions? Can't some optimist schmuck like PFC Uzumaki be right for a change?" Sarutobi bitched at me while we both went prone behind a piece of brick wall. Temari and Nakamura were right next to us as they furiously crawled to our position. Choji tried feverishly to set up his .30 cal as Sugiyama and Nazuka covered him.

"Where's Ino and Toyama?" Choji asked nervously.

We looked around to see the two of them hunkered down behind some debris to the left of us. They were relatively safe from rifle fire for now.

"We're ok guys!" Ino yelled to us. "Just take care of these jerks and we'll link up!"

"Fire into every one of those fucking windows Choji!" I yelled as he pulled the charging handle. To the left of me 1st squad's machine gunner was following suit with Choji as he and his assistant had managed to get behind some cover.

"Covering fire!" Choji said as he let the first burst from his machine gun into a row of windows. Temari and I lent our support where we could by plugging a foolish rifleman or two. The sad part was that we'd have to keep our heads down every thirty seconds while their MG teams sprayed fire all over. A stream of tracer rounds flew right above Choji and Nazuka's heads as they ducked just in time.

"Fuck we're in a tight spot right now sir!" said Sergeant Yamato. "What are we gonna do?"

"Shit..." Lee was slightly flustered as the man next to Konohamaru was killed by a headshot. "Keep laying down a base of fire! Someone deal with that sniper and those fucking riflemen!"

The Sound rifles had the tendency to be slightly more accurate than our counterparts, the Garand and the M1 Carbine. Not to say ours were completely inferior in which they weren't at all, but for one shot one kill matters the Sound were very adept with their Karabiner 98k and Gewehr 43. This of course meant that they could nail us from a farther distance and not even need a scope. Lucky for me I had my trusty Springfield to regulate such discrepancies.

"Let's make the LT happy and take out those assholes Shikamaru!" Temari tapped me on the arm as we hunkered down from another MG attack. The chips of brick and plant sprayed everywhere on our uniforms, our faces, and down our backs.

"Ok. You wanna take the right side or would you rather stay here?"

"I'll stay, you go. Good luck." She kissed me on the cheek as I laid flat and bellied my way past Choji towards a small section of the wall. Holes were conveniently blown out from past fighting which gave me the opportunity to get a good view without exposing myself too much. Sure as sure could be, I got my eyes on a juicy target, a sniper probably no older than his early thirties taking careful aim at whatever he could. A quick recoil and reload meant he saw something he liked. I only hoped that he wasn't successful but judging by his face he got what he wanted. Damn it. He moved himself away from the window ruining my chance.

"C'mon you son of a bitch...expose yourself like I know you will." Though not as predictable as I would've imagined, he nevertheless showed himself two windows to the right. I made a quick adjustment. "Gotcha now shithead." I whispered while gently squeezing the trigger. It went right into his temple as he slumped over. I looked to my left to see Temari reloading after a fresh shot. I gave her a thumbs up wondering if she had made a kill. She replied in fashion bringing a smile to my face. I looked through my scope again and spotted another lone rifleman firing probably at 1st Platoon. Another line-up quick squeeze of the trigger and he was out of commission. Three more soldiers took up a position in the building in front of us. A closer inspection revealed to me that they were wielding Panzerfausts.

"Guys we got rocket trouble!"

"Akimichi, keep pouring that fire in there before we're blown to bits!" Sarutobi ordered as he swiveled his gun and fired a swathe across the whole second floor. The rocket soldiers revealed themselves as one tried to fire only to be killed by Temari. The rocket fired way off course and over us by a good twenty feet, slamming into one of the ruined tanks on the outskirts.

"Great shot Temari!"

"Sugiyama," I called to her pointing to the windows, "get a grenade or two up there! I'll cover you!"

"On it corporal!" She pulled out one of her rifle grenades and screwed it on top. Nakamura and I peppered the walls with bullets as she took careful aim and fired. It bounced off the top of the window and landed right in front where it exploded a few seconds later.

"Fuck I missed!"

"It's ok Sugiyama...try it again!" I saw the next Panzerfaust soldier aiming right towards where I was. Apparently they got wise to my game. "Oh shit!" I pulled back and tried to run towards Temari when the rocket slammed into the wall, forcing me flat on my belly as a large chunk of brick slammed into the back of me. The wall itself burst open as I would've been killed had I stayed.

"SHIKAMARU!" Temari screamed wide-eyed like a deer in the headlights. My head was spinning and I felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to my back. A harsh ringing in my ears drove straight into my brain like I was front row at an orchestra. I tried my hardest to crawl but it felt as if someone had poured concrete into my back and legs.

"Nnnhhnn...T-Temari...I'm...ok..." I slurred out. My senses were returning to me slightly as I saw her grabbing me and placing me up against the wall. Temari...looking out for a lazy asshole like me. "My rifle...where's my rifle?" I looked to my left and saw it lying down there despite my shaky vision. "I need my rifle!"

Nazuka quickly dashed over and scooped it up while dodging enemy fire. "Here ya go corporal...just like you wanted."

I chuckled. "Well done Nazuka. That took balls."

"Another grenade Sugiyama!" Sarutobi yelled as she primed another one. Using the squad's collective fire as support, she aimed again and then we heard the distinctive chug of the grenade launch. This time her concentration paid off as she landed it right inside. A second later it exploded doubtless killing a few Soundies. "Bulls eye private! Keep doing shit like that!" The sergeant complimented her. To my right Kiba did the same thing nailing a direct hit on the first floor. The enemy fire began to wither as we were wearing them down.

"Well done Fox Company! Advance!" With renewed vigor we had stepped up the pace assaulting the Sound. The only bad part was that this was only the first section of the town. The first sergeant led the charge with 1st Platoon and the Rangers while Captain Hatake kept a cautious distance back with us and 3rd Platoon. Sporadic rifle fire greeted us but it made little impact to our assault. However, the familiar sound my old time favorite made it clear that we were only out of the frying pan.

"Oh fuck not again! MORTARS!" Sergeant Morino screamed as we had to scramble for cover again. The first few mortars were off the mark given our rate of movement but the fires intensified. One landed right near us and killed Private Kurosawa of 1st squad. Another one landed right by Itachi and Tobi lacerating them with shrapnel. They seemed to be ok though as they were still able to find decent cover.

"C'mon we gotta keep moving! Get those mortar sections up and running!" First Sergeant Guy screamed to our rear. Our company mortars had already started to establish their own fires which caused the Sound to hold some of their fire. Some of ours smashed into the buildings and one lucky shot blew an MG section apart. They hid hard but so did we. We continued our advance. "We're almost halfway there...c'mon Fox Company let's move it!"

"You heard the top 3rd squad, let's move up!" We sprinted towards the next available wall.

"Sergeant, why is the fire weakening?" Nakamura inquired. He had a point. The intensity of the Sound wasn't as much as it should be.

"No time to really think about that private though you make a good debate topic."

"Well Nakamura," interjected Asano, "either we're actually weakening them...or we're being 'fattened' up for the kill." And not a minute later after he said that, terrible screeching noises, like grinding metal or fingernails on chalkboards, erupted from the distance.

"What the fuck was that?" Konohamaru asked aloud.

"I don't wanna know..." Moegi muttered in fear.

"Oh shit! SCREAMING MIMIS!" Sasuke bellowed as a sequential cluster of six rocket slammed into a concentrated area. One obliterated two advancing Rangers while another slammed right into a wall near 4th squad which sent Kankuro and Sergeant Mitarashi flying about five feet and into the grass.

"KANKURO!" Temari and I yelled out but to our relief he was still moving as Konohamaru helped him and his sergeant up. Tenten had tried to come to his aid but was pinned by MG fire. Another chorus of screeching greeted us as another one of these "Screaming Mimi" weapons fired its salvo on us. Rockets slammed everywhere, one taking out four from 3rd platoon and another killing one of 2nd squad's.

"God damn it! I fucking hate these things!" Sasuke yelled in frustration. Our entire assault had been ground to a halt thanks to these weapons.

"What the fuck are 'Screaming Mimis'?" Sugiyama asked aloud. I bet most of the squad was wondering the same thing too.

"Nebelwerfers. Six-barreled rocket launchers the Sound came up with. Rather ingenious for them but sadly at our expense." Shino as always answered.

"Yeah I've heard of these God damn contraptions." Tenten commented. "They will most certainly ruin your day."

"Sir!" Sergeant Mitarashi yelled to Lee. "This isn't looking good! We can't advance with those things pouring fire on us! We're pinned!"

"I know sergeant I know!" He was frustrated at the helplessness. This time the Nebelwerfer fire intensified as about twelve to eighteen rockets slammed into our positions. I couldn't see what was happening since my face and most likely everyone else's was flat in the dirt. All I heard were screams of frustration, anger, fear, and most likely the dying.

"Ah shit! I'm hit!" Toyama yelled out in pain. A nice little tear through the top of his shoulder was already bleeding. Sugiyama and Ino ran to his aid.

"It's all good Toyama. Just hold still and I'll bandage it right up!" Ino said as she took out one of her bandages and wrapped it over and under Toyama's shoulder. All the while the mortar and Nebelwerfer fire sprayed dirt and grass all over us while shaking the ground, making Ino's task all the more difficult.

"Get me that radio now!" One of the radio operators scurried to Lee's position near 4th squad as another salvo of rockets slammed near the halftracks, sending shrapnel through the tarps of some and peppering the others all over. Glass shattered and mirrors were knocked off by chunks of hot, scattered metal. "Sir! This is Leaf 2 and we're in some serious trouble! We cannot advance with those launchers! They're trying to pin us and finish us off!"

When Lee had said that, a strange notion suddenly crept into my mind. "_Shit...this was a good plan from the Soundies. They're holding us in place and expecting us to advance while whittling us down. If I had a hazard to guess...oh fuck! They're keeping us at bay for the Akatsuki Panzer Lehr!_" It was close to the same damned scheme that had George Company obliterated. Tricky Sound fuckers...

"Sir!" I screamed to Lee. "We gotta get outta here! If we don't fall back it's gonna be an even bigger trap they'll have laid out for us!"

"What makes you think they've got something bigger Corporal Nara? We're already in a pretty fucking bad situation so I don't think it could get any worse for us!" He snapped at me as if I was challenging his authority.

"Sir I'm not trying to tell you what to do. I'm saying I have a real bad feeling about this situation! Think about what happened to George Company and how they were led right into a trap...now look at our situation! I have a hunch that the Panzer Lehr is just dying to hear about another infantry company pinned down and with nowhere to go!" I yelled back over the screeching rockets and wailing mortars. Lee looked at me for a second with those goofy eyebrows of his but a face of seriousness.

"He makes a good point sir. We're worthless right now." Sarutobi claimed backing me up.

He huffed and turned to the radio operator, "Get me that receiver! Sir, this is Leaf 2. I suggest we withdraw from the town. I say again, request for retrograde from the town, over."

"Leaf 2 what are you talking about? This isn't like you." The captain sounded rather surprised.

"Lee? Are you seriously suggesting retreat?" Even the first sergeant was caught off guard.

"This is Leaf 3. I'm with Leaf 2 on this sir, we gotta bail out! These Screaming Mimis will tear us to pieces over!" 2LT Ishida of 3rd Platoon's voice crackled over the radio.

"We've got no air support and by the time it takes Able Company or Baker Company to reach us we'll be in even more dire straits, over." 2LT Ebara of 4th added.

There was no response from the captain for about thirty seconds. Meanwhile we had attempted to try and break through but newly emplaced MG42 positions made sure we didn't. We lost about four more soldiers in the attempt. Not even the engineers with their flamethrowers and satchel charges could make any headway. To our horror the Soundies were capitalizing on this by rolling in some big guns.

"Um sir? We've got a problem! They're rolling in Flak 38s!" 1st Platoon's leader yelled over the radio. We turned to see, under the cover of advancing infantry fire teams, three large guns that were being set up along the roads. The Soundies were screaming at each other to line up the sights and within seconds we tried to kill them off but could only nail a couple of them as the harassing fire continued. Soon the loud but fast reports of the Flak guns were alive as chunks of concrete and dirt were being torn up everywhere. Another one of our soldiers was unlucky as a round tore his arm right off. Screaming in shock he ran off as he was cut down by sniper fire. Another soldier was yelling as a piece of flak dug into her hip. She cried for help but we were pinned down. With surprising courage Moegi from 1st squad ran and dragged her back behind a mound of rubble before she would've been finished off another way.

"Sir, sir are you there?" Lee asked only to get no response. "SIR?!?"

"I'm here...I'm here..." I would've hated to be the captain right now, or any other time that such a shitstorm occurred. "First Sergeant, get the assault element out of here while we provide cover. We're breaking contact right now...over..."

"Sir? We're...retreating? We're seriously retreating? We never retreat!"

"I know I don't like it either but we're not in any situation to do something otherwise. If we stay here we're all dead. Get 1st, 4th, and the Rangers back to the trucks! 2nd and 3rd Platoons will follow right afterwards."

"Captain, I'm so sorry...I didn't know they had gotten here and slaughtered my fellow fighters." Itachi interjected apologetically.

"It's ok and we can wax eloquent about it later but now we are getting the fuck out of here! All units pull back and mount up! We're done with this town, out."

The first sergeant sighed in anger and frustration. This must've been a huge shot to his pride but the captain gave out an order and he too realized we'd all be dead if we stayed. "You heard him...let's move." With unrelenting speed and determination, the bulk of our attacking force double-timed it back to the halftracks which were trying to cover them as best as they could. A quad gun truck contributed greatly by getting its sights on a Flak 38 crew and tore them to pieces before they could kill any more of us. The mortar, medic, and engineer sections managed to escape before 1st and 4th even got close. A Ranger fell to gunfire and another was shot in the leg but 2LT Uzuki and a couple others ran back to get them. They wouldn't leave their fallen men and women behind and neither would we. Ino and Hinata grabbed two wounded from 4th Platoon and made their way back as well. An MG team set themselves up atop a widows walk in the front building and fired bursts at our retreating forces, killing two of them.

"Motherfucker! I'll show them!" Kankuro roared as he loaded his Panzerschreck with the ammo he looted from a dead Soundie and without hesitation sent the rocket spewing towards them. It crashed right into the brick wall in front of them but killed them all anyway. His quick thinking afforded us some breathing room to evacuate. We had managed to hold the Soundies to a standstill as the rest of the assault element got on the trucks. Lucky for us our Jeeps and halftracks were nigh unapproachable as a group of brave but foolish Soundies tried to attack them but were cut down.

"C'mon! Let's go! We don't have all day ya know!" The driver of one of the halftracks was bitching to our platoon as we had gotten the command from the captain to bail.

"All right 2nd Platoon, we are leaving! 1st and 2nd squads leave first and then will provide covering fire for 3rd and 4th. You know the drill ladies so let's go!" Sergeant Yamato gave the signal to break contact as my squad stayed put keeping the Soundies' heads down.

"Temari, keep your eyes on the windows to the left and I'll do the same."

"Right!"

"Sniper! Sniper in the open!" Toyama yelled out as we both swung our rifles around and gave the bastard no time to get a shot off. He flew back a foot and landed flat on the ground.

"Let's go 3rd squad! You see Sergeant Mitarashi leaving now so I think that means we bail too!" We picked up all our shit and sprinted. Suddenly Sugiyama got tripped up and slid right on her side.

"Ahhhh shit! Help!" She cried.

"Sugiyama I'm coming!" Toyama yelled as he pivoted off his foot and jumped right back while Temari and I followed to support him. He emptied his magazine at the advancing Soundies killing one of them. "C'mon I've got you." He picked her right up along with her rifle and caught right up with us. "We don't leave anyone in our squad behind...ever." She blushed a deeper red despite her face already red from the adrenaline.

"Thank you Toyama." She squeaked out.

"Damn it 3rd let's move it!" Sarutobi said. "Get anyone else you can on the trucks now!" Temari and I assisted some straggling Rangers and a couple wounded from 3rd Platoon as the last of us finally got on the trucks. Rocket fire was increasing as our hasty retreat had given them the opportunity to bring out the big guns. A Panzerfaust rocket slammed right into one of our unmanned Jeeps, effectively robbing us of another means of escape. The four that had intended to use it had to cram into another halftrack.

"Radio check! Tell me when you are all set, over!" The captain yelled through the static.

"Leaf 1 ready!"

"Leaf 2 ready!"

"Leaf 3 ready!"

"Leaf 4 ready!"

"Engineers and mortars ready!"

"Medic section ready!"

"Drivers get us out of here now!" With the engines already started the tires on the halftracks and Jeeps squealed against the pavement and dirt as we poured all the fire we could on the advancing Soundies while we escaped. Another salvo of Nebelwerfer rocked came screamed down upon us but luckily we had been going fast enough for them to land right behind us. The pings of metal and rock were heard outside the trucks as we kept our heads down. We bobbed and weaved the best we could as we finally got out of range ten minutes later. I looked around to see all of 3rd squad and the other soldiers panting, shaking, and completely distraught. The shaking hands of Sarutobi fumbled around for one of his crumpled cigarettes as he found one and lit it up without hesitation. I was tempted to have one as well but I didn't smoke. I ran my hands through my hair as I slid closer to Temari who was just as disturbed as I was. We had probably lost a good thirty to forty soldiers already out of a total of maybe three hundred. It was a hard hit but it could've always been worse had the captain tried to stick it out and my fears become reality with the Akatsuki Panzer Lehr descending upon us.

"Temari...oh my God..."

"Shikamaru..." Her hand grasped mine furiously as she looked to me for comfort and as I did the same.

"God damn it! God damn it motherfucker shit!" Ino let loose a stream of cursing as the stress must've snapped a nerve inside her or something. "Fucking trap...and we walked right into it! What the fuck were we thinking?" Her face turned red with anger as we continued to endure the bumps and swerves on the road.

"Ino..." Choji whispered to calm her down as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"NO! Don't 'Ino' me Choji! We nearly got slaughtered there and I want some God damn answers! I know you lack the intelligence to come up with something so I won't even bother asking you!"

"Check your tone Yamanaka..." Sarutobi warned as Choji retracted his hand and hung his head in shame.

"No this is bullshit! What was the captain thinking letting those Grass guys lead us into that? What kind of a commander does something stupid like that?"

"YAMANAKA!" Sarutobi screamed as his pupils shrunk and his face because taught with rage. "Question me if you want but don't ever talk like that about the captain! He had an order from Major Shizune and he carried it out! We didn't know they'd have a trap set up like that!"

"Where the fuck was the Air Corps sergeant? Where the fuck was Able Company?" Her tone got even more insubordinate.

"Ino calm down!" I yelled.

"Oh fuck you Shikamaru! You're so God damn smart, how about you and your little Sand paramour pet figure this shit out huh?" Temari got rather agitated but I restrained her.

"You wanna say that again Ino?!?" She snarled at her.

"You are way outta line Private Yamanaka! Stop it right now!"

"I've had it! I've had it with this stupid war! It's nothing but dying and kids killing each other and we're never gonna get home to Konoha! They're just gonna kill us all! They're just gonna kill us all!" She screamed before bursting into tears. Her outburst was understandable. She was scared and she was the only one who manned up and let it out. The absolute slaughter of an entire Grass partisan group and a good portion of our own soldiers at the hand of the Sound was a tough pill to swallow. She in a surprise move rested her head on Choji's arm, Choji letting her treat his arm like a pillow to sob on.

"Ino...it's ok. We'll get through this. I know we will." He stroked her hair while trying to comfort her.

"Temari...don't be too mad at Ino. I think we all feel like that right now." She nodded and let out a sigh of grief.

"Fuck..." One of the Rangers muttered. "This doesn't happen to the Rangers. We don't get hit like this."

"Something wasn't right there. The second we set foot there something wasn't right. Did those Grass guys even know what was going on? They must've had no idea that the Sound took that place over!" Asano pondered aloud.

"It's a possibility Asano. I have a funny feeling about those two, especially when we were approaching the town center. We got no communication about this town and the Sound came all too conveniently. Something doesn't add up."

"Agreed. I'd like to help you think about it corporal but back there was a little too much for me right now. Forgive me as I might need to gather my thoughts."

"Of course Asano." I said patting his back. "_Shino...I don't think you're alone in your thoughts. You, Temari, and I need to have a serious discussion about this before things get even more out of hand._"

"Um, sir, this is Leaf 2. Come in over."

"Leaf 2 go ahead, over."

"Well sir...I hate to ask such a stupid question but...given the town being infested with Soundies and the Sound probably advancing towards the HQ..."

"Come out with it Lee."

"Where do we go now?"


	25. Chapter 25

Though out of sight and range of any serious Sound weaponry, Fox Company was about as disoriented as a man walking in the dark without a flashlight. No one was coming up with any ideas, so we had just stuck to the scenic roads while trying to avoid anything we had on our maps even remotely related to the Soundies. The trap laid out by them at what we thought was a secure town surely had our asses handed to us. But thank God for the captain and his quick decision, albeit with a little pushing from his subordinates, to bail out. We just felt really sorry for those poor Grass citizens who were overrun, the survivors set up, and subsequently slaughtered just so the Sound could try and wipe out Fox Company. I had to give them some credit though. Their sacrifice in trying to warn us probably saved some lives in the company at the cost of their own. Poor guys...just normal citizens doing their part in the fight against the Sound only to have it be the end of them.

"Jesus I can't take this runnin' around shit much longer. It's like we're being stalked." Nakamura nervously said as we had been driving every which way for the past ten minutes. Communications were a mess since the HQ was in disarray even with the Air Corps repelling the Sound Luftwaffe attack. Though we heard Major Shizune loud and clear about a mile away from the HQ we've been getting nothing but garbled crap. It had to have been our radios or the fucking Soundies jamming us.

"Well get used to it private. This isn't exactly the proudest moment in our lives but it's better to withdraw with some slight disorganization than stay and get systematically annihilated like George Company." The sergeant answered with tones of shame, regret, but with a twinge of wisdom. No one wanted to remember George Company as a reminder of what not to do or what the Sound could do, but it was necessary to do so. Ino had calmed down considerably since her outburst but we could still see the wear on her face from her frustration and anger.

"Hey Nara…" Nazuka waved to me. I turned my head to him as some of the Rangers did the same, eager to eavesdrop. Given how bunched up we were I don't think anyone could not listen unless they made a conscious effort to do so.

"Yeah what's up Nazuka."

"The sarge tells me you're the smart one, so maybe you could tell me and maybe some of the others what the fuck just happened back there?"

I tilted my head to the side, questioning the seriousness behind his curiosity. "Well if you're one hundred percent serious Nazuka then I won't bullshit you. We thought we were going somewhere safer as per the recommendation of Major Shizune and the Grass partisans. Turns out the Sound got to there before we did and basically handed our asses to us. Of course it could've been much worse."

"Yeah we could've been completely wiped out with those God damned rocket launchers they had." Choji added.

"Thank you Choji."

"Consider this your first lesson in humility fellas." Toyama said from the end of the halftrack. "That little skirmish when we bailed the ANBU out was just a teaser. Welcome to reality." Though grim, his assessment was truthful.

"So where would we be heading to now? I mean not to copy the LT or nothin'." Sugiyama inquired.

"That's the million dollar question." Temari said back. "I haven't the foggiest and I don't think I could find a single one here that would know. Your HQ is still relatively unsafe and Shikamaru and I have noticed that half the radios are shot to shit. Actually, Sergeant Sarutobi, can we even reach the HQ through the comms?"

He shook his head. "No dice little lady. You already knew the answer to that question so why bother asking?" Temari was caught slightly off guard by Sarutobi's snapping.

"Sorry…I forgot." She grumbled.

"Sir, this is Leaf 1. How much farther do we have to go? Over..."

"Leaf 1, just keep on driving. The farther we are from the town the better chance we have of dodging the Sound. I'm sure they told anyone around to be on the lookout for us but we'll dodge 'em all right, over."

"Roger that sir. Sergeant, stay on course."

"Leaf 3 reporting sir, any luck with the comms with HQ?"

"Leaf 3 we've been getting garbled messages but nothing that sounds like they're in danger. It must be our communications since we all know we were good right outside the HQ. Stay on guard though. If the Soundies are jamming us that means they could get a bead on us. DO NOT GIVE AWAY ANY LOCATIONS! Over..."

"Jesus how much longer are they gonna be chattering away like that? Fuckin' officers I'll tell ya...barring Momma Uzuki of course." One of the Rangers inside wisecracked. She earned herself a few laughs from the grunts and stone-faced look from Sarutobi. That's the thing about Asuma Sarutobi. He had that way of letting you know ever so subtly whether he was as pissed as a hornet or as calm as a cucumber. He was without a doubt the former on this one. Like he said to Ino, no one talked down about the captain. He's gotten us through thick and thin before and life perhaps sucked the most for him and the first sergeant. When people died, it was on their shoulders. When the mission was a success, they took their credit. When things such as our retreat happened, they'd be the one to carry that burden. They had the most power but the hardest job, without a doubt.

"Sir! This is Leaf 1! We've got visual of something over! Looks like the fuckin' apocalypse..."

"What do you see Leaf 1? Over..."

Everyone in our halftrack tried to sneak a peak through the holes the Sound decided so politely bestow upon us during the fracas just about a half-hour or more ago. We couldn't see much but what we could see didn't look good. Wreckage and flaming hulks of God-knows-what were scattered in the horizon as we drove through the small dirt road. But the scrap, fires, and craters weren't just on the road. They were all over the valley. Everyone that caught a glimpse started chattering like they did back at the HQ.

"What on Earth?"

"Holy shit..."

"Looks like Hell on Earth if ya ask me."

"Temari..." I muttered squeezing her hand. She responded in kind as we shuffled closer towards each other. Both of us had that awful feeling where our beating hearts were sinking to our stomachs.

"Leaf 1 this is Leaf 2, what's going on?" Lee blurted out on the radio. "What's that you're seeing oh my dear Lord..."

"What? I don't see anything!" 4th Platoon's LT complained.

"Um...sir?" The voice of 1st Platoon's LT was shaky and startled. "Do you see this?"

"Mother of God..." the familiar voice of Tobi muttered through 1st Platoon's radio link.

"I see it all right. I just wish I hadn't seen it."

As we approached the carnage second by second, the convoy couldn't help but slow down like civilians passing through some horrible car accident back home in Konoha.

"Shikamaru..." Temari wrapped her free arm around mine as I could see beads of sweat form neatly on her forehead and face. "Is that who we think it is?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Wait a second," one of the Rangers said as he got up and tried to get a peek as to what was outside, "was that...I mean is that..."

Sarutobi turned to him. "Yes corporal...it's George Company."

The grim visage of our slaughtered comrades was the last thing that we had needed to see while fleeing from the Sound. Everywhere the ruined trucks bearing Konoha's insignia haunted us as some were still ablaze from the Panzer Lehr and Luftwaffe attack. Most of us were speechless in shock. Most of us had never seen so many of our own dead in one place. Some were still in the trucks slumped over the dashboards or lying on the flatbeds. Some were cooking from the flaming vehicles left by the Sound. Others were scattered like fallen leaves in the craters or in the tall grass while there were little bits and pieces left, if anything at all, of the most unfortunate. Smoking, scorched patches of earth dotted the landscape, the occasional charred rifle or boot giving clear sign as to what or better yet who was there. The stink of burning flesh permeated throughout the area. Temari and I couldn't help but gag every time we inhaled. I turned to her as she held her hand to her mouth, wide-eyed by such a display. Doubtless she's seen such things before with what the Sound did to her people, but she was still trembling as I was sure terrible memories of home came back to her. I slinked my hand on her shoulder and held her.

"It's ok Temari…it's ok."

"It's the same thing…all over again. Like back home, they did this when they came back. I saw their faces. They were staring straight at me. I had to watch it all."

I looked at the grisly field as I caught random men and women lying perfectly still. Some of them were gripped with fear as they were no doubt terrified of the Panzers and planes at the moment of their demise. It felt as if some of them were staring straight at me as Temari said. Then it dawned on me. That dream! The one where I saw my broken and bloodied friends all dead, staring at me…the one with Temari kneeling and bleeding as those black, amorphous demons attacked us…it all came back to me. I felt my heart beat slightly faster as my breath became more erratic. My guts felt like they were molding together and that smell, that horrible smell, it was only exacerbating it.

"Shikamaru…what's the matter?" Choji asked nervously.

"I…I don't feel too good…" I mumbled back. My lack of comfort was more mental than physical but still unsettling nonetheless.

Asano's stomach, practically holding it in since the Luftwaffe attack, couldn't take it any longer as he leaned behind the edge of our seats and threw up before I could be first. I still managed to have the constitution to keep it inside. One of the wounded from 4th Platoon did the same as the terrible stench got stronger. Suddenly the trucks started slowing down much to our bewilderment.

"What the fuck? Why are we slowing down?" Nazuka asked. "Figured that's the last thing we wanna do."

"Shut up Nazuka." Sarutobi barked. To be honest, we were just as apprehensive as Nazuka was. Trolling through the macabre battleground with the smoking remains of what were your comrades was not really an easy thing to go through with a straight face. Why in the hell were we slowing down? To make matters worse, when we approached a small section of forest, our convoy decided to grind down to a near halt.

"Sergeant, I'm with Nazuka. This doesn't feel right one bit..." Choji said anxiously.

"Attention all vehicles," Captain Hatake's voice rang out, "scan the area for a few minutes. We'll be picking up normal speed afterwards on our way back to what we think is friendly territory."

"Fox, come in. Fox, come in." The familiar voice of Major Shizune popped up which hopefully spelled some relief. "This is HQ, come in over."

"Hell's bells! We finally got some communication with HQ!" 4th Platoon's LT cheered.

"Cut the chatter Shibata. HQ, this is Fox. What is your status over?"

"We're still alive. Captain Morino came in the nick of time and we took some hits but as you can see we're still standing. What about your company over?"

"HQ, the town was a trap. Soundies caught us with our pants down and we've sustains about ten to fifteen percent casualties. They killed the partisans and were probably setting us up."

"Shit..." Her voice became frustrated again. "Are the partisans Tobi and Itachi still with you over?"

"Yes they are, over."

"Good. We still need them because they most likely have intelligence on the Sound that we can still use. It's a priority that you keep them alive, over."

"Roger that. Have you been able to contact any other nearby units over?"

"Negative Fox. We've had little luck except for Baker and some of the infantry companies. No word from the batteries, Able, or Easy Companies, over."

"Understood. What should be our course of action over?"

"Return to HQ ASAP. Once we've regrouped with our armor and with the Air Corps covering us we should be able to mount an offensive and flush out those damn Soundies. I repeat, return to HQ as soon as possible. HQ out."

"Well you heard the major Fox Company. Let's move out and back to the HQ."

"What about the Panzer Lehr sir?" Lee asked.

"Our first priority is getting back with the rest of our forces. We'll deal with that damned Panzer Lehr later."

A faint huffing and crackling was heard through all the radios, even with the loud noise of the engines. The first sergeant went right on the receiver. "Someone cut that damn static off! Are you trying to get spotted by the Akatsuki?" The crackling became increasing in tone and volume. The first sergeant became furious. "God damn it I said cut that fucking chatter out now! Fucking Akatsuki's gonna find us!" Once more the crackling became louder but slightly repetitive.

"Does that sound like..." Ino muttered.

"Laughter..." Temari whispered.

"Oh no...this isn't good. This is bad...really bad. What a drag." I said aloud. Our fears became reality as the static was indeed laughter. It wasn't the joking laughter...no this was the sinister, maniacal laughter. It lasted for another thirty seconds as we just sat there wide-eyed. A cold sweat ran down my back as that God-forsaken lump in my throat returned.

"Don't want to get spotted eh Fox Company of the Leaf Army? As a dog goes back to its vomit, so a fool repeats his stupidity."

"Who is this? Identify yourself right now!" The first sergeant hollered through the radio.

"Well...I wouldn't worry too much about being spotted. You already have been. Big mistake..." The man's voice was hoarse and menacing, a deep growl emanating after each sentence.

"We'll ask you one more time...who in the fuck are you?" The captain growled.

More laughter came from the receiving end of the chatter. "You are quite a character Captain Hatake. We've been listening to you for quite a while jamming your communications. Oh I've read about you Fox Company. I've read about your exploits in fighting my fellow soldiers at Takigakure."

"Is that...?" Temari was about to ask before I looked at her and nodded. She, like me, was sweating bullets.

"Major..." I muttered.

"Kisame...Hoshigake...of the Akatsuki Panzer Lehr." Captain Hatake stammered somewhat nervously over the radio, finishing what I was about to say to Temari. Our trucks went right into a halt…perhaps the worst thing we could do but then again we had no idea where they were. I should've been surprised to hear the captain in such a tone but I wasn't. He was just as understandably nervous as we were. I then thought of the picture I saw in the intelligence photo. That weird light-blue skin, the towering figure in the black uniform, those piercing eyes, and worst of all, those freaky jagged teeth...they were like that of a shark's. Now I took those things and imagined him in his huge Tiger tank just savoring every minute he had mocking us.

"In the flesh...or should I say, in the steel. Oh Fox Company, Sharkskin and I have been eyeballing you for a little while. Your friends in George Company were quite the snack, but you look downright delicious! Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise that they didn't finish you off in that little Grass town we took over. They left you just for me, Sharkskin, and the rest of my tanks. No Luftwaffe or other units to hoard over my kill. How delightful..."

"Sharkskin? Is this guy on drugs or something? The fuck is he talking about?" Nakamura pondered.

"Oh I wish he was Nakamura, but he's not. Sharkskin is his tank...and it's a big'un." I answered right back.

"Why don't you show yourself or are you one of those coward fuck sneak thieves?" First Sergeant Guy insulted the invisible commander. A wiser man like me would probably not be so bold but perhaps he had a trick up his sleeve.

"Oh ho! You've got some fire in your belly there Leaf man! That'll be savory when I'm feasting on it. How funny that you call me out when you cannot even see me. I respect you ladies and gentlemen of Fox Company. I cannot say the same for your cremated comrades. They were a pushover more or less...a joke of a meal."

"How dare you!" The first sergeant roared in anger. "No Sound tank will get the best of us! We'll make you pay for what you did!"

"Your anger and ferocity in your words are admirable. I can certainly see how you were able to take back the Waterfall Nation. Bravo! Bravo I must say!" He then sighed. "Alas, your recent string of success and luck is about to come to an end. Time to filet you like the writhing, helpless fish you are." A malicious snarl came at the end. "But…I'm a man of honor so I'll leave you this one proposition. If you surrender right now and quietly, we may show some mercy on you. If you don't, well…I think you know…so I'll grant you the luxury of a few minutes to think it over. Choose wisely…"

"Sir?" The first sergeant addressed to Captain Hatake. Like I said before, I'd hate my life every single day if I were in his shoes. Another minute passed by while the rest of us were at the edge of our seats. A series of small beeps went off in the radio.

"What the hell is that beeping?" Temari asked.

"It's…I think it's Morse code. Someone's signaling us, but as to whom I haven't the foggiest."

"Sir we need an answer." The first sergeant asked again.

"The clock is ticking Captain Hatake…I suggest you make up your mind." The Panzer Lehr commander hissed through the radio. We prayed for our captain to have the wisdom to know what to do.

"Major Hoshigake. I have an answer to your proposition of surrender." His voice sounded confident which was surprising given the situation. We were slightly caught off-guard.

"Oh? Perhaps there is some wisdom in you captain...good for you. And what, pray tell, is your answer?"

"Nuts!"

A collective cheer erupted the second afterwards.

"HAHA! I knew you wouldn't give in sir!" Our first sergeant cheered as roars of pride towards the captain and defiance towards the Akatsuki were heard from the trucks.

"Fuckin' right! That's our captain!" Lee added.

"Fox Company doesn't surrender to anyone, especially the likes of you. We will never surrender." People were stomping their feet and yelling taunts at the enemy. I certainly knew Major Hoshigake would be less than thrilled.

"I see…bold and defiant to the end, a pity really. Though honorable I hope you realize you've just signed the death warrant of your entire company. Lieutenant, if you'd be so kind to send our sincerest reply…"

"Fox Company! We're moving out now!" Captain Hatake screamed as black smoke billowed from hedgerows towards the west. Judging by the sheer number and concentration of the smoke and sound, they were quite numerous. A few seconds later a Jeep from 1st Platoon exploded as it was slammed by the lead Tiger which bowled right over the small nest of trees in front of it. We were already flooring it the second the captain replied to the Akatsuki. The tanks were frightening beasts to behold as Temari and I saw them through our scopes.

"Temari…do you see it?"

"Yeah, and I wish I hadn't."

One of the lead vehicles, a tank that clearly stuck out from the rest, was clad in bits and pieces of Leaf and Water armor. What looked like jaws and jagged teeth were meticulously painted on the front of its sloped armor. Atop the very tank himself, though clearly out of range for my rifle, the frightening visage of Major Hoshigake stood peering at his targets, those eyes scaring even the bravest of men.

"Sharkskin…" I muttered. Its massive cannon turned and aimed at one of 4th Platoon's trucks. A quick and unintentional swerve to the right had saved its twelve passengers from a grisly fate as the round slammed into a nearby tree, sending wooden splinters everywhere. Another round from a Panther tank slammed right near my very truck and sent rocks flying into the truck bed almost like bullets. I got peppered in the arm with a couple while Temari and Ino managed to shield themselves and get a couple in the forearms and hands. Choji and Nazuka, given their frame, were faring the best.

"Where are you going Fox Company? I figured if you wouldn't surrender the least you'd do is honor me with a fight!" The freakish Panzer commander yelled through our channels. They were still intercepting our communications but I still wondered what that Morse code transmission was. Perhaps the captain had something cooking that would trick the Panzer Lehr. "Of course it'd be greedy of me to swallow my meal whole in one piece, so I think I'll just nibble a little bit." Sharkskin turned its turret away from us and fired a round immediately into a fleeing 75mm gun truck. The poor bastards never had a chance as the round nearly bisected the halftrack. "Mmmmmm...tasty..."

"Jesus! That was one of our AT trucks!" Sergeant Yamato screamed. "Sir we gotta lose 'em and now!"

"Don't worry...I've got an idea. It's not the best but where we're goin' we'll fix those Sound bastards and then some."

"Fix us? Fix us you say? HA!" Major Hoshigake chortled. "You're in no position to fix us Captain Hatake. In fact, you're just buying a few extra minutes for you and your soldiers who I hope are praying to the heavens for some sort of mercy because I certainly won't grant any. All units please continue firing away and do try to hurt them as much as possible. Nothing makes me lick my lips like a wounded, bleeding fish struggling for dear life."

"Damn it can't these things go any faster?" One of the Rangers complained as another tank round slammed into the road right in front of us and causing the truck to swerve left and right.

"We're already goin' at around forty to forty-five miles an hour so no I don't think we can corporal. Just quit complainin' and keep your head down!" Ya gotta hand it to Sarutobi. Even in shitstorms like this one he still manages to get that authoritative word in. We were losing them but only by a small margin. The tanks had some considerable agility and their range was obviously more superior to any of our weapons barring our other two 75mm trucks. But given our situation, any and all AT guns from Tenten to Kankuro to these trucks were useless.

"Sir, what's the plan? They're still comin' up and not quittin'!" 4th Platoon's platoon sergeant yelled.

"We keep moving! I've got something don't worry about it..."

"We're gettin' pounded sir! I hope whatever you're thinking comes real soon or el..." A massive roar of static came out of the radio as a nearby explosion rocked the trucks again. I turned to see the Jeep that the platoon sergeant was in was annihilated from a tank round. Fuck.

"Little by little Captain Hatake...little by little..." The Panzer major mocked.

"Almost...almost...just a little more..." Captain Hatake muttered as our convoy struggled to get up a small hill. Around us the trees were fading away into nothing but lush, green plains. Of course that only gave the Akatsuki more room to work with as another round slammed near our truck, and then another. I saw Private Miyoshi almost fly out of the halftrack but Konohamaru and Kankuro were quick to pull her back in. Sakura was in the Jeep that the Engineer LT was in when it careened off to the side from a Panther round landing right near them. They had to slow down and bail out before the next round slammed home and blew the Jeep into pieces. A huge breath of relief came out of me as the four of them including Sakura were quickly rescued by one of the engineer trucks behind them. Sadly the little maneuver cost us some time. They were lucky that they weren't obliterated right then and there.

"We're headin' down Fox Company! Do not slow down one bit!" The first sergeant yelled as we had reached the apex and were flying right down the slope. It was more gradual than steep but it gave us the speed we needed...perhaps a little bit too much speed as we were hanging on for dear life.

"Oh my God! Hang the fuck on!" Ino shouted as she instinctively clung on to the most stable thing she could. Funny thing though that the very stable thing she was looking for happened to be Choji, who despite the fact we had a Panzer Lehr group right behind us was blushing as he hung on as well. We continued to barrel-ass down the hill as I could literally feel the wind pulling my face back.

"COWARDS! I was possibly considering a little mercy even if you fought but now you have just signed your collective death warrant!" Major Hoshigake hissed furiously. "You're as good as dead the second my tanks reach the top!"

"Shit I think he might be right on that one!" I said. Nothing the already superior range of the Panzer Lehr guns, once they were at the top they could use the simple concepts of gravity and arcs to rip us to pieces at an even farther distance.

"Quit bellyachin' Nara!" Sarutobi said right back. "The captain's got a plan. He wouldn't just have us go meandering into the countryside for nothing."

The pounding stopped for a minute or so but as Temari and I turned around to see the cannons of the first few Tigers and Panthers reach the crest of the hill.

The Panzer commander laughed again. "You see? You're just buying time. Now it's the end for you and your ilk captain. All units continue your barrage. No mercy."

"Almost...almost..." The captain muttered.

The tank rounds now started hitting in front of us as some of them were trying to slow us down with intercepting fire. A quad gun halftrack was obliterated by one of the Panthers, leaving no chance for any survivors.

"Shrapnel! Get down!" The sergeant screamed. It was no sooner he said that when a hot piece of what was one of the guns pierced the armor of the halftrack in between Toyama and Sugiyama. Had they not gotten down one of them would've been impaled.

"I told you...it's useless to try and flee. Just accept your fate."

Suddenly one of the Tigers lurched to a halt and was nearly blown to bits as a distant boom echoed throughout the countryside and an explosion rocked the ground in front of the Tiger, followed by another that landed close to a nearby Panther tank. It just stopped it shortly but nonetheless shocked its commander.

"What?!? What was that?" Nakamura asked.

"If it's what's I think it is, or better yet who it is Nakamura, we may have ourselves one helluva fight." Sarutobi replied with a big old grin.

"What the...? Who dared fire upon one of my tanks?" Even the Panzer commander was caught unawares by the abrupt attack on his forces. "All units prepare counter-fire. Load AT rounds instead of high explosive. It seems that the ocean just got a little bigger." Though they were stalled slightly, the Panzer Lehr still kept their harassing fire on us, knocking out a medical Jeep which cost us three more soldiers.

"Hey I see a bunch of vehicles in the distance!" Asano announced, prompting Temari and I to take a look through our scopes where the dust and dirt was getting kicked up.

"Well holy shit..." Temari muttered to me with a shaking smile of relief.

"Looks like the captain did have an idea as to what he was doing after all. Guess I should put more faith in him huh?"

"Good God Fox...once again we come to bail you out of a clusterfuck. Methinks we should start running up a tab. You'll all be damn near broke by the time we're done!"

"Yeah no kidding sir..."

"Whaddaya think Genma, should they pay us in cash or beer?"

"How about both Aoba?"

"HA! Yeah no kiddin'...I could use a nice cold one right about now!"

"Figures those ground-pounders always get in the thick of it when we're not around sir. Talk about a pain in the ass. And seeing those Soundies up at the top and...holy shit Izumo...it's them!" The radio traffic was alive with all the jabbering of the tankers. I assumed that they had switched channels along with Captain Hatake as to lose Major Hoshigake. Of course I figured he'd be none too pleased to be without an audience for his jeering but fuck him. As a matter of fact I was amazed that we was able to squeak his way into our communications for so long.

"Well I'll be damned. It's the so-called Akatsuki Panzer Lehr."

"Well done Kakashi, you brought us an ample fight for a change."

"Iruka Umino...always there when I need ya."

"And we brought some friends too! I told Captain Kyoda of Easy Company that the Akatsuki Panzer Lehr was in the area and that somehow, someway, you'd bring 'em to us. He agreed to join us under the hopes that he'd get a piece of the action as well. God damn did you not disappoint Kakashi! I'll have to rely on you more often!"

"Har har Iruka...I'm laughing my ass off." The captain replied snidely.

"Who're those obnoxious assholes?" Nazuka asked, his ignorance completely understandable along with the rest of the rookies who were somewhat bewildered by the tankers and their infinite supply of arrogance and familiarity with Fox Company.

"Those guys, my friends," as I turned to face all of the new members of 3rd squad, "are the tanks of Able Company. They may seem rough around the edges but I guarantee you they can bring a fight wherever they go."

"Shit, they worked with us and saved us once in the Waterfall Nation. It'd be wise to not underestimate them." Choji added.

"Good thing they brought some friends with them this time and with big guns to boot." Toyama noted. With Able and Easy Company we were sure to now have an advantage over the Panzer Lehr...at least I thought we would. The only problem was that I, amongst many other in Fox Company, had little clue as to how many tanks were actually in the Panzer group.

"Fox Company, this is Captain Kyoda of Easy Company. Brought enough big toys for us to play with Captain Hatake? I certainly hope so because the boys and I have been hungry for some time since the Lightning Nation!"

"Well what you've seen so far is just the tip of the iceberg. Be warned...their commander is not to be trifled with." The captain answered, referring to Major Kisame Hoshigake who we already discovered is slightly on the sadistic if not borderline insane side.

We had gotten to a slightly more safe distance as the Panzer Lehr's fire had become more inaccurate and spread out. The Tigers, Panther, and the King Tiger Sharkskin had gone into a protective stance and poured down rounds to cover themselves. Though they weren't hitting much of anything, they were keeping any assailants at bay.

"It's a good thing we always come up with contingencies Kakashi. I was able to get your Morse signal about what was going on and got you to come to us."

It was amazing, just like how George Company had fallen into the trap of the Panzer Lehr by pursuing a fleeing infantry force; we had done almost the same thing to the Panzer Lehr. Of course the big differences were that we were leading on a huge, frightening, unit of Sound armor, there was no Air Corps or Luftwaffe in sight, and the sheer scale of conflict that was about to erupt would probably be something the likes of which few of us have ever seen.

"So Iruka. I see you upped your arsenal a little bit. Got some more big guns?"

"You bet your sweet ass I did Kakashi. Behold my new Calliopes and Hellcat tanks! Your part of the fight is over. Get behind us and Easy Company and we'll take care of the rest."

"Always playing the aegis for us simple, bumpkin, can't-get-right infantry huh?" The first sergeant came into the conversation. "Well it hurts my pride to say this, but it's always good to know you've got our backs."

"Oh Guy...come now..." Iruka said in the _Shinobi's Pride_ as 1st Platoon had just passed the wall of Leaf armor. "Don't think of it like that. It's more symbiotic. We appreciate what you infantry guys do...really we do. However, you're clearly outmatched here so now it's time for us to shine."

The first sergeant sighed. "All right. Fox Company, we're done for now. Form up by the woods behind Easy and Able Companies and dismount. We'll establish hasty defensive positions and monitor the progress of the battle. Under no circumstances, unless we are ordered from Captain Hatake or asked for assistance from Able or Easy Company, are we to get involved. It's too dangerous and they'll tear us to shreds." It was interesting hearing the first sergeant take such a defensive posture seeing how he's usually the "always on the attack" kind of guy but I think Captain Hatake influenced this decision.

"Hey Fox Company, this is Hayate Gekko of Able commanding the _Dynamic Entry_. You don't suppose ya have a certain lovely ANBU Ranger by the name of Lieutenant Yugao Uzuki in your midst now would ya?"

A few seconds of no reply came on until we heard the fumbling of the hand receiver. "Hayate? Hayate babe is that you?"

"You betcha it is babe. How's my gal doin'?" He asked coughing slightly afterwards. "Has..." he coughed a little more, "has Fox been takin' care of ya since the rescue?"

"I'm all right. Me an' the ANBU boys are still hangin' on. Those Akatsuki Panzer Lehr fuckers up there mean and open for business Hayate."

"Don't you sweat it doll face. We'll open 'em up like tin cans."

"Please Hayate..." a slight twinge of concern took over her tone, "be careful."

"I'll be all right Yugao. I love you." Another cough came out.

"I love you too."

"Ok, ok...enough of that you two." Captain Umino barked though the channel. "Hayate, Able, time to get our heads in the game."

"Fox Company, prepare to dismount! I want all wounded by the medical section and treated on the double! Everyone else form positions and help spot for the tankers." The captain ordered as 4th Platoon's trucks made it to the woods. The halftracks and Jeeps had placed themselves behind hedgerows and trees to act as a barrier from any Sound tank. We had hopped off without delay and immediately went into tactical formation. Naruto, though slightly woozy, seemed to have regained his senses as he clutched his B.A.R. and carefully leapt down the halftrack, running towards Konohamaru and Sergeant Mitarashi. Any of our wounded including the Rangers were escorted to the rear of the formation where the medics were treating them the best they could. The Grass partisans Tobi and Itachi were nowhere to be seen but I certainly hoped they were being watched. If I lived through this I'd have to have a lengthy discussion with Shino about them.

"Quickly 2nd Platoon quickly!" Sergeant Yamato screamed as the shelling continued on both sides. So far we saw none of our own go down but on the other hand none of theirs went down either. It was more like a shouting match between the three tank groups instead of an actual brawl. Both Leaf and Sound were trading "verbal" threats with their warning shots. 3rd squad had laid itself flat right next to 4th squad where Sarutobi and Mitarashi were quickly chatting it up with each other and figuring out what was best for the both of them. I laid myself flat right next to Temari while Naruto just so conveniently happened to be right next to Temari.

I turned to him. "Heya sleepy...still feeling like a sack of shit?"

He shook his head, still slightly dizzy. "Never better. Nothing's gonna keep me from watching Iruka tear those sum'bitches apart with his Pershing! Believe it!"

"Yeah kid for once I'm in agreement with Uzumaki." The figure of Mitarashi said standing over us. "Those bastards are gonna pay for what they did to George Company!"

"Fox listen up!" The captain screamed over all of our chatter and the outside rumblings. "We hunker down here and keep ourselves from being a huge target. Able and Easy already scoured this area but keep sharp as those Sound assholes will try anything to get to us. If one of those Akatsuki tanks gets anywhere near us, we take it down with everything we've got am I clear?"

He was answered by a huge collective cheer as we got busier building ourselves whatever makeshift defense we could. Dirty, dingy, but not at all lacking spirit, Fox Company got itself ready for what would be considered a monumental battle. Hand in hand with the Rangers, we did what we could to support ourselves along with the armored companies.

"It's amazing. I never thought...such things would happen...to me but here I am, with you Shikamaru." Temari grunted to me as we shoveled the ground furiously. I blushed slightly and kissed her on the lips.

"Guess it's true whenever people say things about fate being a strange mistress."

Once again here we were, a couple of nervous-as-hell fighters doing the best we could to defend ourselves from such a frightening enemy. As with Takigakure, the labor camp, and Hill #404, I was banking on the same fate that brought Temari and I together to get us out of this.

"Hellcats and Wolverines stay along the outsides. Keep yourselves within decent cover and provide the base of fire the rest of us need. These tanks are no mere Panzer or StuG. These are big boys, they hit really hard, and we can't treat them lightly. All Shermans and Pershings close in to counter their range while the tank destroyers cover. Hit these assholes from the sides and rear and they'll burn like tinder!"

Easy Company's commander was spouting something along the same line. Meanwhile LT Uzuki was coordinating her Rangers while assisting Captain Hatake and First Sergeant Guy.

"ABLE COMPANY!" Captain Umino shouted through the radios. "Our rendezvous with destiny has arrived! Now is the time that we define ourselves as the Armored Knights of Konoha!"

"Iruka...do it..." Naruto whispered aloud.

"Through hardened streets and grassy knolls, we're always there and ready for the fight!" Another tanker joined in. "C'mon guys let's give 'em the Able Company anthem!" Soon all the tankers were alive with song in the radio message traffic as their engines roared. Gaining speed Able Company rolled off to face perhaps their greatest battle.

"Oh...Konoha's Knights are here for the fight!"

"Let our enemies tremble before our might!"

"Let 'em shake, let 'em fear, let 'em quiver."

"Justice and retribution our tanks will deliver."

"We'll roll through anything standing in our way!"

"The enemies of the Leaf will remember the day,"

"When their very foundations come crashing down,"

"They'll speak of us with much renown."

"'Who would smash us with such glee?'"

"IT'S THOSE SONS OF BITCHES FROM ABLE COMPANY!"

"Our enemies will scream and they will cry,"

"When our steel rain hits them from the sky!"

"Iron and Honor! Strength and Speed!"

"These words we uphold in our creed!"

"Nothing scares us and nothing ever will!"

"Nothing will stop us from our kill!"

"The Leaf women see us and scream our name."

"None can resist the likes of our fame!"

"The men ask the ladies, 'What on Earth do you see?'"

"They turn and shout, 'IT'S THOSE SONS OF BITCHES FROM ABLE COMPANY!'"

A rousing cheer came from the tankers and even some of our own who were itching to watch our tanks take on the Panzer Lehr.

"Men of Able Company!" Captain Umino shouted once more. "The time has come to exact harsh vengeance on these Akatsuki monsters for everything they've done to this land, its people, our allies, and our own. On this day they will know our name and they will rue the day they ever crossed Able Company!"

"We're with you sir. Every step of the way we're with you!" One of the fellow tankers answered. It always impressed me how some people carried such charisma that they could lead others into battle with little debate. Captain Umino had that like our Captain Hatake did.

"This is for you Yugao, remember that." Hayate Gekko said.

"On my mark, we charge, close in, and finish these bastards off once and for all!"

For a brief second there, I looked through the scope as the whole lot of the Akatsuki Panzer Lehr came pouring from down the small hill. They looked like they were about the same size as Able and Easy Company, perhaps a little smaller. Nevertheless, with the ingenuity of the Sound armor it was going to be a battle like none other. At the forefront of the Panzer Lehr group was that God-damned Sharkskin. Its clanging bits and pieces of armor and the sheer size of it was sheer intimidation, but I felt in my gut that Able Company wouldn't be fazed. What scared me more was the commander, his grisly features, and his threats to devour us, like I actually believed he would do such a thing.

"Iruka...you can do it. I know you can." Naruto muttered to himself again while we were still preparing our defenses.

"Don't sweat it boss." Konohamaru said has he ran over to assist Naruto digging. "If anyone can do it I know your friend Captain Umino can."

I turned to see an unexpected and certainly rare look of worry on the Ranger LT. Her hands were clasped together as her Thompson was slung on her shoulder. It looked almost as if she was praying. She knew her fiancé was also about to be in the fight of his life. I remember back at the HQ when we were just smoking and joking that she showed off her engagement ring despite the sheer lack of tactical sense it made having it out. I saw a brief moment of vulnerability behind her tough Ranger persona. Perhaps more than all of us, barring possibly Naruto, she was scared to death over what might happen to her, her soldiers, and especially that Hayate Gekko fellow. Speaking of scared to death, I could only imagine how Naruto was feeling considering his self-proclaimed mentor was leading the charge right into the maw of death. It was going to be something we'd all have to watch and that we'd all remember. It was like two giants fighting for the fate of a child. One wanted to inflict harm upon us while the other sought to protect us and those it cared about to the bitter end.

The fire from the Panzer Lehr intensified as they were still hitting the front of the Leaf armor formations, trying to get them to stop advancing.

"It's time to face the music Able Company, time to face our destiny in the annals of history. They'll speak of this for decades to come and you'll speak of it to your children and grandchildren. Remember this day Able Company for the rest of your lives."

I turned to 2nd squad where, true to his form, Shino muttered a prayer to himself while rubbing his prayer beads. For once my thoughts and feelings would be completely mutual to him.

"Iruka...good luck." Captain Hatake said.

"Thank you. No matter happens Kakashi, you will come to no harm so long as we have an ounce of fight left in us."

"Sir, we're approaching the threshold."

"This is it." I imagined Captain Umino as a warrior of old, with an entire army of mounted troops behind him, drawing his sword and pointing at the awaiting enemy, ready for the carnage that would soon come. I imagined him with a grin of infinite confidence and the heart of a lion.

"_Godspeed Captain Umino...Godspeed._"

"Able Company...CHARGE!"


	26. Chapter 26

Anything that I experienced that I may have thought of before as a real clash of titans, was completely and utterly an understatement. Right before our very eyes we were about to witness a fight of pure iron, of pure steel, of pure fire the likes of which few in our company have seen. Inside were the brave souls of Able and Easy Company ready to take on the juggernaut known as the Akatsuki Panzer Lehr headed by the fearsome Major Kisame Hoshigake. Many of the Sound tanks were already superior to ours in many ways barring possibly maneuverability, but knowing that Captain Iruka Umino, he wouldn't let stats and specifics get in the way of obtaining victory for the Leaf Army. This battle could quite possibly determine the fate of our army in the Grass Nation and the fates of every single one of us in Fox Company, from the new kids to the captain. The roars of the engines and the cannon fire became more intense as our tanks rolled off to face the dreaded Sound. They had started descending upon us like hungry vultures while Able and Easy played the noble eagles ready to defend their nests.

"Give 'em hell tankers!" One of the soldiers from 1st Platoon cried. Pretty soon, as we continued to dig in for the fight, everyone started cheering them on.

"Make 'em all pay!"

"Yeah! Turn 'em into scrap heaps!"

"Iruka!" Naruto screamed at the top of his lungs. "I believe in you!" Though the tension was high and the fear was intense, I could've only imagined that whatever I felt right now he would be feeling fivefold. Man, what a drag to be him right now.

"Get those anti-tank guns ready on the double! I want all rocket soldiers dug in with their launchers prepped and positioned!" The first sergeant yelled orders while running back and forth through the platoon formations. "If one of these fuckers gets through tries to get to close the last thing he'll be getting is an easy kill!"

As Temari and I furiously worked to build ourselves some decent cover, the thoughts and recollections of when I met Captain Umino raced through my head. I remember when I first met him with his amicable demeanor, his confidence around his men and others, and how he could get Naruto to be giddy like a school child. I remembered when I went to go visit Naruto and Hinata in the hospital after the Battle of Takigakure, when he saw me and stopped to say a few words. I remember how he believed in me and told me that I'd go far. I remember how he said he used to look out for Naruto in the past and even in this war because he believed in that kid all the way. I remember how he believed in Fox Company and how Konoha would win the day no matter how great the odds. So far I've seen Able Company in mere turkey shoots, cleaning up the remnants of a past battle, utterly annihilating Sound forces like at Hill #367, or saving another Leaf unit from certain destruction as seen twice involving us. Now it was time for them to be on center stage. Now was the time where the course of the war hung in their balance. That would've been too much troublesome responsibility for someone like me to handle, but not Captain Umino. The tanks had already started speeding away the second the captain had ordered the charge, but the enemy was still a slight distance away. Temari and I took the occasional peeks through our scopes to get a closer look at the action. It seemed that almost everyone else followed suit by grabbing whatever ocular device they could find. Naruto had already pilfered himself a pair of binoculars that he shared with Hinata since he wouldn't miss this for the world.

"Steady Able Company...we can't go rushing into their fire. We'll get torn to shreds. Genma, line the Calliopes along the flanks. We'll do the standard rocket attack first to soften 'em up. Afterwards I want our Pershings leading with the Hellcats close behind. Everyone else in the Shermans will act as support fire and a protective line for Fox Company. My _Shinobi's Pride_ and the other two Pershings can soak up the most damage but we need the Hellcats and Shermans to draw some of their fire away. Concentrate on the Tigers and anything else you think you can handle. You leave the big fish to me, the _Rock of Konoha_, and the _Sound Smasher_."

"Leading the charge from the front as always I assume Iruka?" Captain Hatake cut into the radio chatter.

"There's no other way except from the front Kakashi! I'll come back with a souvenir from that King Tiger tank just for you guys!"

"Well said. Godspeed."

The tanks still rumbled on but not at full speed despite the initial cry to charge. The captain was wise to issue the rally cry but keep some sort of formation. The Panzer Lehr on the other hand got closer and closer with blinding speed for such armored beasts.

"Stay on line Able. Prepare to charge the lines and engage at close range. They can outrange us but we outnumber them so we need to nullify their advantage."

The first explosion landed right in front of the Sherman named _Falling Leaves_.

"Shit! They're firing on us already!"

"Steady Able Company…increase speed…"

The rounds landing on the ground became more and more intense. One of Easy Company's Sherman tanks got too ambitious and despite it being able to get a shot off, it landed right at the side of one of the Panther tanks. The Sound tank simply turned, fired, and scored a direct hit. The Sherman went ablaze as the hatch opened pouring black smoke out. One lucky bastard out of the four inside was able to survive albeit missing half of his left leg. He rolled off the burning tank and with the adrenaline still flowing through him feverishly tried to put the fire out on his arm. He slumped to the grass and to my imagination was probably screaming for a medic before he would bleed to death.

"Son of a bitch! They got first blood!" One of the tankers yelled.

"Keep moving Able Company! We have to close range! We'll get our payback for every one of us they knock out!" Captain Umino sterly replied.

"Sir!" Lee turned to the captain. "We have to help that poor soldier!"

"It's too risky! We're still in their range!"

"But sir he'll die!" He argued.

"I said no dice Lee...I'm sorry but that's the case!"

Though Lee firmly obeyed the captain's command with a simple nod, LT Uzuki thought otherwise as she ran off to one of the Jeeps with its engine still on and pulled a one-eighty towards the burning tank.

"YUGAO! WHAT'RE YOU DOING?!? GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!"

"SORRY SIR! I CAN'T HEAR YOU! I'LL BE BACK IN A MINUTE!" She screamed in reply as she zoomed off.

"That impetuous woman! How dare she!"

"Is she crazy?!?" I asked aloud. "She'll get blown to bits! She's insane."

"No..." interrupted one of the Rangers, "that's just our Momma LT. Might not be smart but it takes guts and guts is enough and guts are what makes Rangers who they are!"

I turned with a look of disbelief. Those Rangers, though brave, I seriously thought had some screws loose. Meanwhile the LT narrowly dodged an errant round as she got closer to the amputated man. It seems that Easy Company had caught sight of LT Uzuki's actions and two Sherman tanks formed a little protective barrier while firing cover shots. With blinding speed she hauled the tanker up, placed him in carefully, and hopped right in the driver's seat.

"What the fuck?" Someone yelled through the radio.

"Yugao…is that you babe?" The tanker named Hayate asked in a rather alarmed tone. "What're you doing? Get the hell back with Fox Company!"

"Sorry babe…you know I can't without doing this. It's a Ranger thing."

"God damn it…you and your Rangers."

About a few minute later and with nary a scratch, she approached Fox Company's line, grinding to a halt right near the medics who wasted no time extracting the wounded tanker. The Rangers hooted and hollered for their LT while Captain Hatake stormed at her.

"Sir..." She was answered by a firm slap to the face that nearly knocked her over. We were frozen with shock. In all the time I had been in Fox Company, I had never seen the captain hit anyone.

"Don't you ever...EVER...disobey me like that again!" He screamed as he hoisted her up by the collar. I could hear the heavy breathing of his anger. "You may be part of another unit Uzuki but God damn it I'm the fucking ranking officer! You pull your head out of your ass with that Ranger bravado and do as I say!"

Some of the Rangers took Captain Hatake's attack on LT Uzuki a little personal as they went after the captain. Luckily the platoon sergeants and the first sergeant stopped the majority of them.

"YOU DON'T HIT OUR LT!" One of the Rangers yelled as he raised his fist, ready to strike.

"Corporal...stop!" The LT pointed to him as he froze. "You don't hit a superior officer...ever."

He pondered what she said for a second, then lowered his fist. "Yes ma'am. I won't ma'am."

"Sir...I'm sorry...I went with my gut. I don't want anyone dying helplessly like that."

"That's war Uzuki. You could've died yourself trying to rescue that man. It's a miracle from God you didn't die. Next time, think of your men and women before you go rushing off like that!"

I didn't know who to side with. Captain Hatake was my captain and his wisdom has carried us through everything so far but the LT was right for saving that man. Given the recent bouts of losses we've endured, we've been starting to think the captain has become more cautious and apprehensive. LT Uzuki on the other hand was led by the ANBU Ranger bravado and did an incredibly ballsy thing. He let her go. "Now get out of my sight!"

"Yes sir…"

"Um, sir?" LT Ishida of 3rd Platoon interrupted. "I hate to intrude but we still have Able and Easy to help right?"

"Oh shit...right...of course. Fox Company! Man those defenses! We're in this fight still so we'll do what we can for Able and Easy!"

"They're gaining sir!" One of the tankers complained through the radio. Our company had switched to their frequencies to help us get a bead on their situation. The Panzer Lehr intensified as the Hellcats and Pershings fired round in retaliation. They were still not close enough but it made the Panzer Lehr think twice about trying to bum-rush them.

"I can see that Aoba. Genma, prepare the Calliopes to fire on the largest Panzer Lehr concentrations on my mark! Kyoda, order your tankers to do the same."

"Yes sir!"

"Of course Umino."

The rocket tubes on the Calliopes including the _Whirlwind_ tilted and turned to get a good bead on the Sound tanks. Captain Umino was wise to keep them more at a distance as the line of solid steel acted as a barrier between the Akatsuki and the Calliopes.

"Sir! Calliopes have the bead on the targets! Awaiting your command..."

"Good! Fire at will. Turn the fucking ground into a giant crater!"

"You heard the captain men! Unleash the tempest!"

"Been waitin' for this all fuckin' day!"

"Open up and say 'AH!' you Akatsuki motherfuckers! Here's a little gift from Able Company!"

The three T34 Calliope tanks proceeded to unleash their entire payload on the advancing Panzer Lehr. It was a sight to behold as the roars of so many rockets filled the battlefield. The fire and flames of their launches incinerated the ground behind them leaving flaming grass and charred earth. As the rockets careened towards their targets, I thought to myself as to how unlucky a man would be to be on the receiving end of that.

"Holy shit! I'd hate to be getting that down my throat!" Kiba yelled in astonishment. Didn't know he was a mind-reader.

"Keep pushing Able Company! We're almost in range!"

The rockets pounded the ground unmercifully. A Panther tank blew to pieces as it was struck repeatedly by about five rockets. A Tiger tank had its turret blown completely off by the salvo of rockets. The Tiger next to _Sharkskin_ buckled under the barrage and lit completely on fire. Its crew bailed out with half of them aflame while the others desperately tried to put them out. Major Hoshigake and his tank continued to roll on, either uncaring towards his Tiger escort or too focused on the task at hand to assist. Another Tiger had the treads blown off its tank as it lurched to a halt. Sadly it wasn't able to be finished off as it fired another round and nicked the _Falling Leaves_. To its fortune it was only a glancing blow, tearing some of the metal off the side but not incapacitating it. We had wished the rocket barrage would've taken down more tanks but instead it just slowed most of them down if they didn't incapacitate them.

"Shit! I've been hit!"

"Can you still move Aoba?" Captain Umino asked.

"Yes I can, but those fuckers just really pissed me off!"

"Good! We're almost in range! Nice work Genma! That bought us some time and thinned their numbers just a little bit!"

"Sir! They're still firing at us! We have to return fire!"

"We can't stay still and be picked off by them! We have to get closer! Keep moving Able Company! Stay on line and try to dodge their fire!"

Still cruising along in formation, Able and Easy Companies kept getting closer and closer while we watched in utter anxiety and fear.

"Steady...steady...almost there...keep it together Able."

"This is Onosaka! We're getting pounded here! Panther tank has us in our sites!"

"Keep it together Onosaka! Take evasive action now!"

"I'm turning...but he's right on me! SHIT! Engine's been hit!" The tanker in the Sherman _Firestorm_ had taken a hard hit to its rear engine compartment, the backside catching fire with black smoke bellowing from it. "We're sitting ducks sir! Shit...we're not gonna make it! Guys bai...AHHHHHHH!" The next shot from the same Panther tank obliterated the _Firestorm_. The crew never had a chance as the tank went completely ablaze.

"Shit!"

"Steady Able Company...just a little more..."

The radio traffic was already filled with panic and disorder. Captain Umino was doing his best to keep his tanks on line to properly attack the Akatsuki.

"We're taking hits!"

"Sir, Kotetsu here! We're soakin' up some serious fire!"

"You can take it Kotetsu! We're almost within range!" It must've been torture for both Captain Umino and Captain Kyoda to have to get within such a dangerous range to be able to engage the Panzer Lehr effectively. Like swordsmen charging archers, our tanks had to weather the rain of fire just so they could put up a fight.

"OH FUCK...WE'VE BEEN HIT! OH FU..." Another Able Company Sherman, the _Reaper_, fell apart as _Sharkskin_ personally targeted the poor men inside. Its massive cannon tore it asunder and all that was left was scrap and fire.

"God damn it! We lost another tank!"

"Raido just keep moving! We'll get the assholes soon enough!" A voice that wasn't the captain said in reply.

"Almost...almost..." Easy and Able Company's tanks just continued to roll as fast as they could while trading running shots with the Panzer Lehr. Occasionally one of the tanks would get lucky and land a hit, but given the armor of the Akatsuki it didn't do much. The _Shinobi's Pride_ scored a well-placed hit on an overly ambitious Tiger tank that strayed too far from _Sharkskin_. It was nothing more than a lucky shot but it evened the odds just a little more.

"Nice shot sir!"

"Thanks, but we're not done yet. Just a little longer Able Company..."

The booms and roars of the cannon fire could still be heard all the way from here as we watched like spectators, except this was no game.

"I c-can't w-watch." Hinata mumbled as another tank from Easy Company exploded from Tiger tank fire. Naruto held her closely as we continued to survey the carnage.

"It's ok Hinata. Iruka's gonna pull through like he always does!"

"Sir we can't take much more of this!" Another tanker yelled.

"Just a few seconds more...load all rounds!"

"Roger!"

"On it!"

"Round loaded and ready!"

"Hellcats, select your targets and prepare to fire!"

As soon as he said that every single one of the Hellcat tank destroyers swerved their turrets at whatever they could see. They had managed to also break themselves off of the Pershing and Sherman tanks and got a good sight of some of the Panzer Lehr flanks.

"Ready...steady...FIRE!"

The Hellcat guns were wild as they slammed round after round into the Panzer Lehr. Another Tiger tank was utterly annihilated as two Hellcats shared it as their meal.

"Yeah! This is more like it! Give 'em hell boys!" Captain Kyoda cheered as they too got within range. Now the real boxing match would commence.

"All other remaining tanks, fire at will! Aim for the sides and rear! Do not get stupid and bite off more than you can chew!"

"What about you sir?"

"Me you ask Iwashi? As far as I'm concerned, the big one is mine!" Captain Umino's tank slammed another round right into the frontal armor of a Panther tank, not killing it but slowing it down significantly. The _Rock of Konoha_ fired from the right flank and blew a chunk of its rear armor off. It turned to fire but missed, glancing one of the Hellcat tank destroyers instead but with little significant damage.

"Ah hell...this one just refuses to go down!"

"Raido could you do the honors?" The captain asked.

"With pleasure sir! Target Panther tank, thirty degrees right. Load AP round." The _Sound Smasher_ to the left of the _Shinobi's Pride_ swerved its turret. "FIRE!" Its cannon boomed as the round slammed right into the center of the right side of the Panther. After that blow it was out of commission for good.

"Nice shooting. Remind me to get you a drink for that!"

"Hell yeah! Try to keep up sir!"

"You worry about yourself Izumo. All units keep close and engage. Don't let these assholes out of your sights for one second!"

"Yeah Iruka!" Naruto cheered. Seeing his idol charge the lines, survive, and manage to take the fight to the enemy so viciously was more than he could've asked for.

Our whole company watched as the _Shinobi's Pride_ took on a Tiger tank that was harassing the _Dynamic Entry_. The _Dynamic Entry_ fired which dented the Tiger's front armor but didn't do much. However, as the Tiger traversed to try and kill the _Dynamic Entry_, the _Shinobi's Pride_ was able to flank it and hit the ammunition compartments. The Tiger blew apart while we cheered again.

"I told you guys nothing could stop Iruka! Get 'em sir!"

"Perhaps they are the 'Knights of Konoha' they claim to be. I've rarely seen such bravery amongst the Konoha Tank Corps." Shino reflected. "So much for being the arrogant blowhards everyone makes them out to be."

"Keep up the fire Able Company! This fight isn't nearly over!" Though they looked like ants swerving around and bellowing smoke and fire out of their cannons, up close and personal it was pure chaos. The grinding of gears, the adrenaline pumping through the tankers Leaf and Sound alike, the cannon roars deafening and the sheer scale of the conflict unnerving to even the most stalwart of men.

"Sir, defensive positions have been set up!" First Sergeant Guy announced to the captain.

"Good. Everyone get inside and stay low!"

The second he ordered that we all hopped right in. Temari and I still kept a bead on the action through our rifle scopes as a Hellcat was sucker-punched by two Tiger tanks. Like the Sherman _Firestorm_, it never had a chance. Able and Easy Company were hitting the Panzer Lehr hard but, as always, the Sound had a way of hitting right back.

"Get to cover soldiers! Just because they're over there doesn't mean we're safe here!" Yamato screamed.

"Jeez...these positions better do something to protect us otherwise I'm gonna be pissed when we're getting blown to bits." Sasuke said.

"I dunno sergeant...I think we're somewhat safe here." Kiba muttered.

A Panther tank in the distance fired towards a Sherman but missed.

"INCOMING!" Sergeant Morino cried as the round slammed right in front of the wooded area we were digging in. Dirt and rock spewed everywhere as it rained down upon us.

Sasuke just turned and shook his head at Kiba. "You were saying Inuzuka?"

"Sir, Genma here, do you need our assistance?" The commander of the _Whirlwind_ asked.

"The more the merrier Genma. Get your ass over here!"

"Roger, on the wa...SHIT! We're taking hits! Where's it coming from?"

To our shock one of the Calliopes next to the Whirlwind was launched right on its side. The crew managed to bail out and take cover in a nearby ditch.

"Genma! It's coming from the left flank! Fuckers are coming outta nowhere!" The tank commander to the left of him answered.

"Conduct evasive action now! Sir we need some assistance over!"

"Negative Genma, we're tied up already! AHHH!" The _Shinobi's Pride_ took a hit to its front armor by a sneaky Tiger tank. The round deflected but the hit was made nonetheless.

"IRUKA!" Naruto yelled as he stared through the binoculars.

"Umino this is Kyoda, are you ok?"

"Yeah I'm fine. Sum'bitch just sucker-punched me. I'll take care of him!" The Tiger tank made the mistake of slowing down to try and reload. The Pershing had a faster traverse as it lopped the turret clean off like a man's head with a sword with a clean hit. "Motherfucker!"

"Genma, I see 'em! Two Panzers and a Tiger! What are we gonna do?" The other Calliope commander panicked. The two of them against those three would spell certain doom unless they could act quickly.

"I have an idea. Captain Hatake come in. This is Genma Shiranui of the _Whirlwind_."

"This is Fox Company, go ahead."

"Sir, do you have any more of your AT gun trucks?"

"Two survived...what did you have in mind?"

"Get them in a concealed spot but with a clear line of sight. These three tanks must've been some schmucks who just want a piece of the action. We'll give 'em some all right. We're moving to your position now."

"Roger that."

"All AT soldiers! Get your weapons primed and ready! Looks like we've some fighting in store for us! I want those trucks behind the wood line and ready to fire on the captain's mark!" The first sergeant hollered. About a minute later the trucks were already moving back and forth, trying to get the best vantage point.

"Are you in position Fox?"

"Yes _Whirlwind_, yes we are."

"Falling back to your location now! Keep the fire on them as we pull back Shiro! C'mon give it some gas driver!"

The three tanks continued their harassing fire on the Calliopes. One hit the already decommissioned Calliope and caused it to erupt in a shower of fire and scrap. The crew that had bailed was running towards our position as fast as they could. Sporadic MG fire littered the ground around them as one of them fell, wounded by an MG burst. The other three ran to save him as their armored comrades kept suppressive fire on the enemy.

"Keep those fucking MGs off our guys' backs!" The _Whirlwind_ yelled as it fired a round at an incoming Panzer. Landing in front of it, the Sherman only managed to slow it down. "We're almost there...almost..." With luck and perhaps the grace of a higher power on their side the crew got themselves to safety behind our lines.

"Medics! Treat the wounded on the double!"

The Shermans rolled past our line trading shots with their pursuers. A round nicked the Calliope next to the _Whirlwind_ but it kept plodding along.

"We can't take much more of this damage Genma!"

"We're almost where we need to be! Quickly, get to the hedgerow! Get ready Captain Hatake!"

Completely oblivious to our presence, the three Sound tanks kept following our tanks while we waited for the signal. I could feel the ground rumbling from our tanks and the massive Panzers that were getting ever so closer. Our 75mm gun trucks were positioned well enough to get a shot at three tanks as they were almost in the middle of our established killing zone.

"Fell right for it! FIRE!" Our two trucks boomed with their cannons and immediately took out one of the Panzers. Caught unawares, the Sound tank commanders became confused and veered to their left. The Calliopes fired and disabled the second Panzer.

"Nice! Stopped him dead in his tracks!"

"Seriously...but we still gotta get outta their..." though immobilized, the Panzer got lucky and fired its round right into the Calliope next to the _Whirlwind_, fire flowing all around it.

"SHIRO! FUCK!"

"Fire everything you have at these assholes 2nd!" Sergeant Yamato ordered as Tenten and Kankuro scrambled to get a decent shot.

"Firing!" Tenten launched her rocket which only hit a small corner of the Panzer's backside. "Fuck! Didn't kill it!"

"Allow me!" Kankuro then fired his Panzerschreck which hit a soft spot right along the side armor, but the motherfucker wouldn't go down. "Son of a bitch! I hit it directly!"

"Shit! It's turning to us! Get down!" I screamed as I grabbed Temari and almost instinctively threw myself on top of her. The round slammed right near Naruto and Hinata's position.

"SHIT!" Naruto screamed as the dirt fell on us from the air. "Hinata are you all right?"

"N-Naruto...I'm ok."

"Temari, you ok?"

"Besides dirt being shoveled into my mouth by your poorly planned chivalric action I'm ok." She sneered to me as she spat out bits of the ground. "Thank you though."

"God damn it just die already!" The _Whirlwind_ commander whined. "Fire right into it gunner!" Its round hit the Panzer and finally finished it off as smoke came out of its slits and its turret stopped moving. "Fuck...finally!!!"

"We've still got that Tiger!" Lee yelled. "Get those guns on it now!" Most of our weapons were rather useless but some of us still tried nonetheless. Choji had loaded his armor-piercing ammunition prior to this mess and was unloading on the Tiger. I looked closely and saw small dents along the side but it was little to nothing. To my horror the Tiger decided it would rather feast on us instead of the Calliope.

"It's aiming right for us! Get down!" Kiba yelled as we hit the dirt again. Its cannon fired along with its MG42, spraying the entire area with leaden death. The tank round hit the left of Tenten's position but didn't hurt anyone while the bullets nailed an engineer and wounded Asano. The round clipped his arm but it wasn't too bad.

"Asano! Get down and I'll take care of that!" Ino yelled to him as he lay there, cursing from the pain. As the MG fire flew overhead she crawled towards him and got him in another dug-in position. "You're gonna be ok so stop cursing."

"Easy for you to fucking say Yamanaka!"

"HEY! I'm over here you Tiger prick! What you'd rather pick on infantry than go for a real fight?" The _Whirlwind_ taunted the Sound tank by firing another round into its front. Pride must've gotten the best of the Sound commander as he rolled on to engage the Calliope.

"Now's our chance! Get that truck firing again!" Captain Hatake yelled as the Tiger traversed its turret to meet the _Whirlwind_. Our gun truck repositioned itself to line up with the Tiger and fired as soon as it could. It blew the tracks right off and made it lurch to a halt.

"C'mon Tenten let's show this asshole not to fire on us!" Kankuro suggested to her as she nodded. The two of them fired their rockets simultaneously. The rockets hit the tank and rocked it around but it was still alive. We could tell because the Tiger was still turning its turret to face the gun truck which had now unfortunately revealed its location.

"Get outta the truck now!" Someone from 3rd Platoon screamed as the driver and artillery crew hopped off and ran for cover. A few seconds later the Tiger annihilated the truck with little effort.

"God damn it these fuckers are hard to kill! That does it!" Sakura screamed as she ran off and came back with her flamethrower looking at all of us. "I'm going in so you sons of bitches better cover me!"

"Right behind ya babe!" Sasuke replied as he ran alongside her and two of her engineers. The Calliope must've caught sight of them as it fired one last round to distract the wounded Tiger. Sakura found the closest viewing hatch to her and stuck the nozzle right in.

"Time for a little cook-off ya Soundie fucks! ENJOY!" Sasuke and the other two dove for cover as the fire started spurting out of any open compartment in the tank.

"Is she insane Shikamaru?"

"Slightly..." I replied. What Sakura was doing was incredibly dangerous but it was a surefire way to make sure the tank crew was dead. She just stood there laughing maniacally as the poor bastards inside roasted. Then again she just watched another one of her engineer buddies go down so it was slightly understandable.

"C'mon babe let's get outta here before it blows! They're dead!" Sasuke grabbed her and sped back to their positions as the fire no doubt found its way to the ammunition and fuel compartments.

"It's gonna blow!" I yelled as I hit the dirt once more with Temari. The blast was deafening as shrapnel flew everywhere. I could see now why the captain had us dig in. Because we were as flat as boards no one got hurt from the blast.

"That..." the _Whirlwind_ commander panted through the radio, "that is the end of them."

"So what now?" The captain pondered.

"We pray the captain can do the rest."

"Fight for all you're worth Able Company! We've got to win this!"

"Sir, I'm takin' hits! I can't last much longer! FUCK!" One of the Hellcats was getting pounded by a Panther before it succumbed and ground to a halt. The battle was still furious with both sides taking serious losses. About a third of Able Company's tanks were already destroyed barring its Pershing tanks and the majority of its Hellcats. Easy Company was faring just as bad as _Sharkskin_ easily picked off another Sherman.

"Jesus...they're getting pounded out there..." I said aloud.

"This is awful." Temari started shaking by the sheer carnage. "I never thought I'd ever witness such a thing. Shikamaru..."

We both felt incredibly unnerved by the brutality of the tank warfare. Our company had already gotten a piece of the action just ten minutes ago.

"Iruka..." Naruto muttered again.

"Hayate..." The Ranger LT said as she lay in her position right near us. As with Naruto, she was especially freaked out.

The _Rock of Konoha_ had just finished off a Panther tank when it was taken by surprised by two Tigers.

"Ah shit...they got me pinned!" It had absorbed the first blow from the Tiger and narrowly missed the second. "Sir I need assistance!"

"I'm on my way!" The _Shinobi's Pride_ scurried off along with the _Falling Leaves_ to assist. Meanwhile the _Rock of Konoha_ turned and rolled down a small section of the hill.

"Sir c'mon and help me! I've got a Panther right in front of me! Gunner, turn 50 degrees and fire the second you have the chance!" The turret swung around and tried to nail the Panther head on but it did little damage. The Panther responded in kind but just missed the Pershing.

"Hang on Izumo! I'm almost there!"

"Sir this is Raido! I'm in the thick of it! Requesting some assistance!"

"Fuck!" He yelled in frustration. Captain Umino for the most part was famous for his level head given what Naruto was saying, but this was too much for him. "Captain Kyoda, help out as much as you can! I've got some business to take care of! C'mon Izumo, are you loaded?"

"Yes sir!"

"Prepare to fire on my mark. That includes you Aoba." The _Shinobi's Pride_ had gone right of the _Rock of Konoha_. "FIRE!" The three tanks concentrated on the Panther which absorbed the Sherman round but was then pummeled by the other two. It slowed down to a crawl as the faster Sherman tank got around it and nailed it from the rear. The two Tigers that were giving chase had stopped abruptly to turn on the other Sherman and Pershing tanks.

"Well done Aoba! C'mon we gotta get back!"

"Thank you sir. I knew you'd come through."

"Sir, I still need that help!" The _Sound Smasher _commander yelled.

"We're on our way! Hold tight!"

"I'm getting pounded to Hell sir! Where are you?"

The _Falling Leaves_ and _Shinobi's Pride_ stopped one of the Tigers dead with a heavy barrage. The other Tiger fired and instead of hitting the moving _Sound Smasher_ nearly hit one of its own. That gave the _Shinobi's Pride_ enough time to reload and cripple the Akatsuki tank.

"That's two sir, but I'm still gettin' it badly!"

"Hang on Raido, this is Hayate..." The message was interrupted by a cough here and there, "I'm on my way as well." The _Dynamic Entry _rolled down towards the others and fired its first shot to scare the Panther. It didn't do much since the Panther tank continued to roll along and fire another shot at the _Sound Smasher_.

"Fuck! I'm hit!"

"It's ok...just keep on him Raido." Hayate said again as he tried to flank the Panther.

"Here Hayate, lemme help." Captain Umino added as his tank also fired a round which helped distract the Akatsuki tank. "Aoba, Izumo, take care of the small fish. Hayate and I will handle the big one." The _Falling Leaves _and _Sound Smasher_ rolled off to intercept the two Tiger tanks quickly approaching. "C'mon you son of a bitch...hold still for me..." His tank fired again and wounded the Panther, slowing it down considerably. As its turret turned to shoot the _Shinobi's Pride_, it didn't see the _Dynamic Entry_ come from behind as it hit the sweet spot in the rear of the tank. Flames shot right out of the tank as we cheered Able Company again.

"Nice fuckin' job Hayate!" Captain Umino complimented.

"First Panther kill...well done!"

"Shikamaru...look!"

"What is it? What do you s...oh my God..." _Sharkskin _was rolling towards them at blinding speed. "SIR! TELL THE TANKERS THAT SHARKSKIN IS COMING!" I yelled to Captain Hatake to warn them ASAP. I had hoped they picked him up already but from the looks of it...no one knew.

"Ya see that Yugao? That one was for you babe! I told you nothing was gonna ha..._zzzzzzhhh_!" Right before our very eyes the _Dynamic Entry_ was launched on its side by _Sharkskin_.

"HAYATE!" LT Uzuki screamed. I looked through my scope and saw the commander open the hatch to flee. _Sharkskin_ stopped and observed the man's struggle.

"Fuck! Where'd he come from?"

"I don't give a shit! We gotta save Hayate!"

"Sir we've got trouble! Jagdpanthers! I don't know where they came from...OH SHIT!" Another Hellcat was destroyed as two tanks I've never seen before rolled up the hill and pounded the Leaf tank to bits. They turned to fire on Captain Umino and the rest, giving _Sharkskin_ the opportunity to reload as Hayate Gekko was stuck in the hatch.

"Oh no..." I muttered.

"I can't watch!" Ino yelled. I could only imagine Major Hoshigake inside that monstrosity, laughing sadistically with those beady eyes and jagged teeth as he could see the poor commander fighting his way to get out. He wouldn't grant him that luxury. A lump in my throat formed, and then in a flash, _Sharkskin_ fired on the crippled Sherman and made it burst into pieces. A patch of scorched earth and ruined metal was all that remained of the place where the _Dynamic Entry_ stood.

"Oh God...Hayate's down! Hayate's down!"

LT Uzuki just froze. She couldn't believe what just happened as she fell to her knees. "Hayate, no...HAYATE!" She burst into tears as she gnashed her teeth and beat the ground with her fists.

"Ma'am! Ma'am keep it together!" One of the Rangers next to her tried to calm her down but she stubbornly kicked him off.

"YOU LET GO OF ME! HAYATE!"

"Yugao!" Captain Hatake also called for calm but she would have none of it.

"YOU MONSTER! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOUUUUUU..." She broke down and lay on the ground. Never had I seen such a proud woman fall to such emotion. Her fists were still clenched but one of them had blood seeping through her fingers. Upon closer inspection, when she opened her hand I saw the very same engagement ring that she was showing off to us. It was smeared with blood as she squeezed it so hard it must've broken the skin. She was a wreck. An ANBU Ranger LT, one of the pinnacles of the Konoha elite infantry, laid there sobbing hysterically over the loss of her fiancé.

"Hayate..."

An even bigger lump formed in my throat. I hate this war...I hate it to no end.

The tables were turning. The continued survival of _Sharkskin_ and the arrival of the Jagdpanthers had turned the tables of the battle. Captain Umino, the other two Pershing heavy tanks, and the surviving Sherman and Hellcat tanks were struggling to regroup. Another Sherman fell to the heavy tanks as the Leaf armor line from both companies was faltering.

"Concentrate your fire on the heavy tanks! We take those Jagdpanthers out and the ball will be back in our court Able Company! I'll take care of that big motherfucker who killed Hayate!"

The _Sound Smasher_ and _Rock of Konoha_ had teamed up on a lone Tiger and blew it to smithereens. Easy Company was trying to counter the wave of Panthers that were being shoved down their throats but luckily their Pershing tanks held. The numbers were almost even though with Leaf and Sound, making the battle all the more dangerous for us.

The _Shinobi's Pride_ swerved from left to right trying to take a Jagdpanther head-on. The tank destroyer fired but missed by a narrow margin.

"Not today, you prick! You die right here, right now!" Captain Umino had gotten so close that the distance between the two was measured by only about twenty feet. "Now say good night, asshole!" He fired point blank into the side of the beast as the force was so strong it nearly knocked the Jagdpanther over. We could tell by his tone that he was getting angrier, his usual calm and collective self had given in to fury and vengeance. Like Captain Hatake, he had already lost a good amount of men and it was taking its mental and physical toll on him. A Panther tank had taken a shot and nicked the _Shinobi's Pride_, tearing off a small section of the Pershing.

"AHHHH! I'll kill you too!" His turret turned and fired right on top of the tank. The hatch blew off and the tank was then finished off by one of the Easy Company Hellcats. The other Jagdpanther had gotten its sights on the _Shinobi's Pride_. It missed its chance to fire when the _Gentle Fist_ slammed a round right into its side. It didn't kill it but it stalled the tank destroyer for a few seconds.

"All Hellcats! Concentrate your fire on the Jagdpanther!" Three of the surviving Hellcat tanks quickly swarmed the massive tank. It tried to fend itself and blew off the tracks of one of the Hellcats but didn't kill it. Round after round the Leaf tanks fired into it until it finally exploded. The Akatsuki tank destroyer nightmare was over for now.

"Well done guys! Now let's get back to...SHIT!" The _Shinobi's Pride_ had taken a nasty hit by a Tiger tank that had snuck its way around him. Another round from a Panther tank slowed the Pershing down considerably. "You bastards! You can't kill my tank! You think you sons of bitches can take me without a fight?"

"Guys the captain's in trouble! We gotta help him ASAP!"

The tanker wasn't kidding. The Panzer Lehr had decided to make a special case with Captain Umino's tank by swarming him. They were like a pack of hungry wolves after a wounded animal. Unlike the animal however, Captain Umino fought back.

"Traverse fifteen degrees left...steady gunner...fire!" His tank tore right into a Tiger tank's side and detonated the ammunition compartment. Like I said before, Captain Umino wouldn't just keel over and die. "That's right...I'll take any of you on!"

"Sir, we're coming!" The _Rock of Konoha_ and the _Sound Smasher_ had just finished off a Panther tank while they were scrambling to assist their leader. Another Tiger had targeted the _Shinobi's Pride_ as its round nicked the top of the tank and tore the hatch right off.

"AHHH! AGAIN YOU TRY AND TAKE ME DOWN BUT YOU CAN'T!" The Pershing rolled towards the foolish Tiger tank and fired the round which slammed right into the turret. The crew bailed from the hatch right before it caught fire. "Get back here! Get back here I said!" He turned his gun on another tank and fired. The round found purchase in the frontal armor of the Panther but didn't stop it. The Panther fired back but hit the ground to the side of the _Shinobi's__Pride_. "YOU MISSED ME!"

"SIR! Hang on we're coming!"

Another Panther tank clipped the _Shinobi's Pride_ near the tracks and slowed it down considerably. Captain Umino responded by firing right into another Panther that was trying to flank him. The Panther screeched to a halt as smoke came out of it. He fired again and tore the tank asunder just to seal the deal. No matter how many he took down, they were still swarming him and hitting him from all sides. It was a miracle he was still moving.

"That's right! You can't take me down! I'm Captain Iruka Umino of Able Company! You don't have shit on m...FUCK!" The next tank round slammed near the underbelly of the Pershing. The treads on the left side of the _Shinobi's Pride_ came apart. His tank lurched to a halt much to our horror. Following the trail of smoke, the well-placed shot came from none other than _Sharkskin_. That accused tank just wouldn't die no matter how many hits it took. It crept closer and closer to the immobilized _Shinobi's Pride_ while it stood there and took its blows.

"Fuck! The captain's getting slaughtered over there!" The two Pershings were being held at bay by two Akatsuki tanks, denying them their chance to assist their leader. Smoke and dust started to seep out of the _Shinobi's Pride_. This was it...this was his last stand.

_Sharkskin_ got up close and personal with the _Shinobi's Pride_, content on sizing up his kill instead of just getting on with it. Heavy breathing was heard over the radio.

"Ab-Able C-Company...this is your captain, Iruka Umino. I want to say something."

"Sir?"

"Sir what're you talkin' about?"

"I've never been more proud to serve with such fine men like you. Raido, Izumo, Kotestu, Ebisu, Aoba, Hayate, ugghnnnn!" He grunted as another Tiger round slammed right next to his tank, rocking it and the ground it was on. "Genma...Iwashi...and everyone else. You've served me so well. I thank you."

"Sir, quit talkin' like that. We're coming!"

"No...this is it. Raido...you're in charge now. You'll do just fine. Kakashi..."

"Y-yes Iruka?" Even the captain was shaky in his voice knowing the inevitability of his fate.

"K-Ka-Kakashi, please...tell Private Naruto Uzumaki something."

"Iruka...what's going on? Don't talk like that. You're gonna be just fine!" He turned to all of us with a frightened grin while the rest of us were becoming sullen. "You'll see! He'll be just fine!" Naruto was starting to shout in delusion which startled Hinata.

"Kakashi...tell Naruto, that of all the people I know in this army, I've never been more proud of him." We all just sat there and watched while Captain Umino was getting choked up, coughing again and again from the smoke and grunting as he took another tank round. "Naruto, I'm so proud of you. I did all I could and I wish I could've done more. You grew into quite the brave soldier. I thank God I knew such a fine person like you. I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you more. I'm sorry...gnnnnn!" Another harassing round clipped his tank. "I'm sorry I couldn't be like the father you wanted. I'm sorry it came to this."

Naruto started to well up, the tears gently rolling down his cheeks as he stood up watching his mentor get picked apart. "No...Iruka don't say that. Please don't talk like that!"

"N-Naruto..." Hinata whispered.

"Naruto, you became more of a man than I could imagine. Please...before I go, do this one thing for me. Get through this war." _ Sharkskin_ drew ever closer to the _Shinobi's Pride_ but not firing, as if Major Hoshigake was letting his honorable opponent get his last words in. "Survive this terrible war Naruto. Go back home to Konoha. Take care of that Hyuga girl. Protect her because I know she'll protect you like I tried to. Have a wife and raise the family that you never got to have. Naruto, your father would be so proud of you."

"Iruka...please no." Pretty soon more of the company was starting to tremble and shed tears.

Captain Umino turned his turret towards _Sharkskin_. "And you Major Hoshigake, even if I fall my men will take care of you once and for all!" In one last act of defiance, he fired his round and tore a decent chunk out of the King Tiger's side. However, the Akatsuki tank shrugged it off and paused for just a second. "Naruto...goodbye..."

The second after that, the collective hearts of Able, Easy, and Fox Companies sank as _Sharkskin_ fired back, the round tearing right through the middle of the _Shinobi's Pride_. A few seconds later the tank burst into flames with clearly no sign of survivors.

"SIR? SIR! Oh dear God no...CAPTAIN UMINO!"

"The captain...he's dead? They killed Captain Umino? Our commander is dead?" One voice asked in disbelief.

"Captain Umino!" Captain Kyoda yelled in shock.

"Iruka..." Captain Hatake muttered with a heavy heart.

Naruto just stood there...completely motionless as he watched his mentor die in the explosion. Like with LT Uzuki, he fell to his knees, his hand squeezing the barrel of his B.A.R. The tears were flowing all over his face. My heart fell down into my stomach as I watched my good friend suffer another terrible blow.

"No...no...NNNNOOOOOOO! IRUKA! YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO DIE! YOU BASTARD!"

"Naruto..." Hinata held on to him as he began to sob just like LT Uzuki who was still grieving. Her hands ran through his hair and glided on his face as the tears kept rolling down. "Naruto I'm so sorry."

He cried and cried. His sobbing rang through our ears, affecting every one of us. Even Temari and I were shaken up. He then stopped and got up. "Lemme at 'im...lemme at this son of a whore!" He tried to run past the wood line. "Gimme that Bazooka Tenten! NOW!" Tenten refused as he lunged at her and tried to grab it. She was pinned to the ground as Kankuro tried to pull him off with little success. Choji and I ran to restrain him.

"Naruto! Naruto get a hold of yourself!"

"NO! I WANT THAT COCKSUCKER WHO KILLED IRUKA! LET ME GO!"

"Naruto...Captain Umino is dead! Don't get yourself killed and do him wrong!"

"I SAID LET ME GO!"

"Choji..."

"Naruto...please..." Choji used his strength to pin Naruto down. Again and again he'd thrash until he finally stopped. A few seconds later he tried to break free but we held him down again. Naruto then broke down and cried so loud I swore even the tankers could hear his grief. Hinata lay there right alongside him crying as well, his pain being shared by her. If his love was her love, then so it would be for pain.

"Those bastards...they killed the captain! It's time to end this!"

"Raido, what are we gonna do?"

"We're gonna swarm the motherfucker like they did the captain. C'mon let's to it! Everyone!"

Upon the new commander's orders, the Leaf armor charged right back into the Sound armor and tore through a couple of Tigers as they went straight for _Sharkskin_. Expecting such a maneuver, the King Tiger changed course and headed right into their charge. His first shot missed as the _Rock of Konoha_ swerved to the left and returned fire, the round slamming into the lower right front of its armor. The sloped armor took most of the damage, but it was still a hard hit. The _Gentle Fist_ took the right flank and slammed a round right into the side. The next Hellcat tank, the _Peacock_, fired another round into _Sharkskin_. Furious over such an attack, the Panzer Lehr commander aimed for the _Peacock_ and nailed the rear of the tank causing it to grind to a halt.

"Shit! They got Iwashi! Avenge the captain and Able Company men! Keep firing!" The _Sound Smasher_ and _Falling Leaves_ swarmed both sides of _Sharkskin_ and fired their payload. _Sharkskin_ was already on the move trying to regain its composure after such a barrage. "Don't let up Able Company! This fucker will pay for what he did!" A Panther tank had tried to come and help but was promptly torn apart from Easy Company's Hellcats. Major Hoshigake pissed off the hornets nest and now he'd pay dearly for such a transgression. Another combination of tank rounds plowed right into _Sharkskin_. Soon the damage was getting to be too much for the King Tiger to bear as the speed slowed down considerably. It still had some fight left in it as it fired right at the _Falling Leaves_, scoring a direct hit.

"AOBA! Are you ok?"

Coughing and hacking was heard through the radio. "Yeah...I'm ok...but I gotta bail out. Carry on without me." The crew of the _Falling Leaves_ quickly hopped out and tried to find the best cover they could as some of the Hellcat tanks escorted them to safety. Another Hellcat fired at _Sharkskin_ but the round went right off.

"God damn it! Let's finish this!" The new commander Raido, yelled. "Kotetsu, draw the big tank's fire while Izumo and I get around!"

The _Gentle Fist_ hurried and fired a shot which bounced off the King Tiger but got its attention as the _Rock of Konoha_ and _Sound Smasher_ climbed up the slope to get around it. _Sharkskin_ however was wise to their plan and started moving while another Panther tank came to assist. It fired at the _Sound Smasher_.

"Son of a bitch! They just keep coming!" The same Panther fired again at the Pershing. "Damn it he's blocking me off. I can't flank him!" Without warning some of Easy Company's tanks came to the rescue and charged through the Sound armor as well, destroying the bothersome Panther tank.

"It's all yours fellas!" Captain Kyoda said. "Kill that bastard for all of us!"

"Right! C'mon Izumo let's get a move on! It's trying to bug out!" The _Rock of Konoha_ and _Sound Smasher_ went right after _Sharkskin_ again. In a strange turn of events, it looked like it was actually fleeing. "Not this time, you bastard!" The _Rock of Konoha_ aimed low and hit the tracks on its right side. They blew out as the massive beast ground to a halt. The feared hunter was now crippled as the _Sound Smasher_ rolled right to its rear and turned its turret to the Akatsuki commander. "This is your end Akatsuki..." The Pershing tank fired and slammed right into the fuel compartments of _Sharkskin_. It went ablaze and a second later the _Rock of Konoha_ fired another round into it to seal the deal. That was it, _Sharkskin_ was dead.

"For the captain, Able Company..."

"For the captain!"

There was little left of the Akatsuki Panzer Lehr after the demise of their commander. Both sides suffered a huge hit in morale but the numerical superiority, albeit seriously weaker, of Able and Easy Company still gave them the advantage. A few Tiger and Panther tanks tried to avenge their loss and took down a few Shermans, but it was too little too late as the fury of Able Company with their Pershing and Hellcat tanks overwhelmed them. In a surprise twist, some of the tank crews abandoned their vehicles with their hands up. The _Sound Smasher_ and _Rock of Konoha_ rolled off to where the Sound tankers were waving the white flag. I could imagine the fear in even the Akatsuki as the Leaf tanks sat there, deciding their fate.

"Surrendering? The Akatsuki Panzer Lehr is surrendering?" Able Company's commander inquired.

"I say will kill every last one of those pricks for what they did to the captain!"

"Shut up Kotetsu! Let's dare not stoop to their level. Attention all surviving units...do not fire upon those who surrender. Mercy is something the Leaf Army has. It'd be what Captain Umino would've wanted."

"So that's it...the battle is over...we won." Captain Hatake said somberly. Indeed was over. The guns fell silent and all we in Fox Company did was sit there and watch the aftermath of such a hideous fight. The field was littered with debris, charred ground and bodies, and flaming tanks. In the middle of the whole thing, standing out from all the rest, was the still-burning Pershing tank of Captain Iruka Umino, the _Shinobi's Pride_. It was a grim visage for all of us. Fox Company was silent for the next hour, but all we could hear were the grinding of tank gears and the terrible grieving of LT Uzuki and Naruto. They still sat there, sobbing hysterically over the loss of their loved ones as it echoed through the whole company area. Sarutobi walked next to me and put his hand on my shoulder. No words needed to be spoken as he understood how I felt. I took a deep breath and had the sudden urge to take one of Sarutobi's cigarettes.

I hate this war...I hate it to no end.


	27. Chapter 27

Hours had passed that felt like days

Hours had passed that felt like days. The conflict was dubbed the Battle of the Emerald Fields by the guys, but if you asked me there was nothing emerald about it. Emerald was like the color of Sakura's eyes or a beautiful plain in the fields near my home, not this. The sky had turned orange with the mix of dark clouds. The orange was eerily familiar to what was still alive on the ground, the fires of the burning hulks that were the tanks of the Leaf Army and the Akatsuki Panzer Lehr. Our commanders had called it a victory, but a pyrrhic one at best. Able, Easy, and even our own Fox Company lost more men than the entire Panzer Lehr group. The Akatsuki that had surrendered were rounded up and transported back to the HQ by 3rd Platoon's trucks for processing for our POW camps. Able Company had honored their new commander, Lieutenant Raido Namiashi, by not firing a single shot to those with their hands raised or with a white flag. The Air Corps had arrived to protect us from the Sound Luftwaffe whilst King Company would be here tomorrow to relieve us. However, there was no cry of victory, there was no fanfare nor jubilation. There was only the somber reminder of how badly both sides suffered and the even worse sites of where the brave Hayate Gekko and Iruka Umino died. When the battle ended poor Naruto was still in mental and emotional tatters. He cried for an hour straight, so much that I swore to God he practically drained himself. He walked off with Hinata following him but to where I had no idea. Choji wanted to follow but I had stopped him and told him that Naruto needed his moment to grieve without us. As a matter of fact, I also had no idea where LT Uzuki wandered off to. I dared not go near her because of course she was an officer of an entirely different unit. Besides, what the hell did I know about losing a loved one, especially one that I was planning to marry? Temari, Ino, Choji, and I hooked up with Sarutobi who in turn told us that we had the always enjoyable grave detail. It was the most troublesome thing on the planet. I complained of course but the sergeant would have none of it. He did tell us that we'd be the ones digging instead of interring so that was a slight comfort. How sad must it be…when you find an iota in relief out of digging a bunch of graves instead of burying the bodies of your comrades and even your enemies? How sad indeed. Nevertheless we picked up the shovels thrown at us and proceeded to the spot the first sergeant chose. His usual vigor and verbal ferocity was replaced with a mask of sorrow and a heavy heart. He gave us the usual orders, the standard drill, six feet deep, two to three feet wide. Joining us was 2nd squad for our macabre soiree which at least gave us some more people to converse with.

"Shino, always a pleasure." Toyama grinned slightly.

"Toyama, ladies, and gents. If only it were a more comforting time to wax eloquent."

"Hey where's Hinata? Shouldn't she be here?" Choji asked.

"I let her go." Sasuke answered. "I figured since Uzumaki was in such rough shape seeing Able Company's captain die he'd need some comfort. Besides…she's not too handy with a shovel." His remark got a light chuckle or two. Given the situation we were certainly scraping at the bottom of the barrel for a laugh. He lit up a cigarette while Sakura was off trying to scavenge anything and everything from the tanks. Sakura had always given him shit for smoking and still let him get away with it, of course like Temari she was a vengeful beast and would occasionally whoop that ass if he got out of line even with the rank superiority and all.

"Um...sergeant? Sakura ain't around is she?" Kiba inquired.

"Nah I checked. You ain't gonna tell no one are ya Inuzuka?"

"Secret's safe with me sarge."

"Correct answer...here have a smoke." He smiled and tossed a cigarette to Kiba and lit it.

"Anyway, let's get to work."

And get to work we did. Choji and Nazuka had no trouble at all with the assigned task as did Sasuke. Sugiyama had a little trouble considering she was always sweating trying to haul all the dirt. Luckily for her Toyama in a nonchalant manner assisted which probably scored him brownie points. Temari and I were intent on separating ourselves and making one after another on our own. Though not as strong as I am, she certainly wasn't breaking a sweat.

"So Temari, welcome to the wonderful world of grave detail. I know it's your first time and all..."

She stopped digging, forced her shovel into the ground, and looked off into the horizon. A heavy sigh came out as she then turned to me with eyes of pity and solemnity. "I...I wish it was my first time doing this. Lord knows Gaara, Kankuro, and I have had to dig the graves of some of those closest to us. I never liked doing this one bit."

"Feelings are mutual. It's such a drag doing this expending all this effort. Hey, maybe we should make a club about hating grave detail and protest to the captain." I grinned as I managed to get a slight chuckle out of her. Our smiles faded quickly though as we involuntarily reminded ourselves of why we were digging.

"Ya know, I remember the first time I had to do this. I wish I could forget. It was when Baki and the rest of us escaped after our father's death. We had a large amount of evacuees and fighters. For days we had to travel while escaping Sound patrols and rationing what food and water we had or could find. There was a boy, no more than fifteen I'd have to say. He picked up a rifle and fought with us the day he lost his older brother to Sound conscription and the Land of Snow incident. One day I was part of a five-man team that had ambushed a small Sound patrol for weapons and ammunition. The kid got ambitious and led the charge. It was a success but he was badly wounded and we had little medical supplies. For almost two days we had to get back to our main camp carrying him and what we looted. When we returned his wound had become infected and there was little we could do as his infection spread and he died that very night. I remember the look of pain in his eyes and the devastation in our faces." It was like the story of how the Sand Resistance had formed all over again. Temari continued to speak with a heavy heart. "Kankuro and I were tasked with the detail. It was the first person I ever had to personally bury in this God-forsaken war. Afterwards I had to do the same thing with one of my close friends from school. She was killed during a mission to blow up a bridge the Soundies frequented. The worst part was that I was originally tasked with setting the charges but I got wounded during the fight. She told me that she would carry the torch and that everything would be ok. Didn't really end that way...and she was shot as she tried to run back. I was devastated." A slight tear came down her right cheek. "I buried her personally. I felt like since she died taking my spot I had to be responsible for her funeral. I hate doing this...it brings back all the bad memories."

I knew she was also referring to the still fresh wound called Gaara's death. We didn't personally dig the grave but we were there to lay him in the spot. "Temari...I remember my first time. We had a private, Private First Class Yurichi, whom the squad loved since the day we left boot camp. He was quick, loyal, amicable, and he was funny. He'd always tell jokes that even I'd laugh at. He was one of those people that you knew had a good heart no matter how you looked at it. Well, we were caught in a little skirmish where we had the Soundies on the run. Turns out they were trying to lead us into a mortar ambush and Yurichi was one of the people who caught that notion along with me and the sergeant. Most of their ordnance missed us but one round had the misfortune of landing right next to our squad. He had pushed Toyama down on the ground as he took the shrapnel. He lost one of his legs and just laid there screaming. We did everything we could but he couldn't be saved. A good person like him didn't deserve to die but there we were, kneeling around him as he slowly left us. Sarutobi had ordered Choji and I to dig his grave and that was more painful than I could imagine as we shoveled the earth with his body right next to us, covered only by an army blanket. I swore I could see his dead face through the blanket as Choji and I kept digging. It was my first heart-breaking, troublesome experience in this war. You aren't alone with those bad memories Temari...you aren't alone." I leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. She looked at me and blushed, wiping away the sweat from her brow. "C'mon. We got some work to do."

"Right...of course. Well then let's to it eh crybaby?" She grinned as she whacked me on the ass lightly with the shovel head. I would've complained but it was too much effort.

We talked and laughed and joked around and say the occasional insult to each other. Temari then proceeded to threaten using the shovel again.

"Ms. Temari, I know he can be a bother from time to time but physical violence, or the threat of towards my comrade, is the last thing I need to witness." Our resident scholar had approached us, just as dirty and sweaty as we were.

"Shino, always a pleasure. Tell us, what's a high-class gentleman like you mixing it up with us lesser folk?" I sarcastically asked.

"Always the facetious one I see Shikamaru. Me you ask? Well I always like to check up on our platoon item from time to time, make sure you two haven't killed each other yet."

"Smartass..." Temari and I said in almost perfect unison.

"I seem to be getting that title a lot nowadays. I thought you'd be the smartass with Sai calling you that but here we are. Maybe I'll stick to the colloquialism of 'platoon brainiac' or 'Corporal Know-It-All.'"

"Oh yeah, I like those names. So fitting..." I remarked with a smug grin. I then felt a smack on my ass as Temari hit me with the shovel again. "OW! What d'ya do that for?" She just smirked at me in reply.

"Charming. Listen Shikamaru, I think we still have unfinished things to discuss."

"What're ya talkin' about Shino?"

"I'm talking about our little companions, the Grass 'partisans' so to speak." It had occurred to me that they were still around, alive and able. I had some suspicions about them since our debacle in the Grass town and since we ran fatefully into the now defeated Akatsuki Panzer Lehr. Nevertheless, we had already gone through enough for shit to get even freakier.

"You still think there's something up with them don't ya?"

"I'm already getting flak from Kiba and others in the platoon. They really don't seem to think what I think but that's why I turned to you and Ms. Temari. You both are more rational and intelligent people."

"Well I'm kind of flattered but still...what makes you think they're up to no good? I mean everything could have just been an elaborate Sound trap they had no knowledge of."

"Well Shikamaru," Temari entered in the conversation, "your friend Shino does have an interesting theory and I'd like to hear it so let's not completely dismiss it."

The three of us converged next to the final grave Temari and I dug whilst everyone else was busy shooting the shit, having a drink, or smoking.

"All right Shino lay it on us."

"Well, it'd be silly of me to say I had a funny feeling from the beginning but to be honest I did. When we met Temari and the Sand Resistance, and yes I've said this before, there was a whole lot of you. There were just two of them. No escort, no plans, no insignia, nothing to really show themselves as fighters"

"Well what then Shino? Would ya want them to go shoot up some Soundies like Temari and her gang did back at Kumokagure?"

"Don't be a jackass Shikamaru." Temari answered back to me. "Keep going Corporal Aburame."

"Thank you Ms. Temari. Anyway, it's funny you mentioned that because they did look rather prim and proper even with the one named Tobi acting like the joker of the two. Sure they could amuse the likes of Kiba or the kid Konohamaru, but I don't do parlor tricks. Call it a funny feeling in my bones but everything just seemed to fall into place ever so conveniently."

"Hmm, you have a point. The Luftwaffe attack and then that disaster in the town with those poor Grass partisans..."

"Indeed. How could they have just conveniently gotten themselves to our HQ, just the two of them, and have little to no knowledge that their base of operations was completely overrun? There would've been some warning or some communication about it somehow."

"Say the lines were cut off."

"That could've happened Shikamaru, but I doubt it. We would've seen or heard something. They would've had some sort of way of telling the second we got to that town."

"Now that you mention it," Temari joined in again, "it did look like there was no sign of recent fighting when we entered that town."

I agreed. "Yeah, there would've been fresh bullet holes, Sound vehicles everywhere, perhaps a fire I mean those would've been good signs that Tobi and Itachi are the real deal and that they had no idea they were immediately attacked. But alas, the whole event was staged. And another thing...Tobi seemed to be goading the captain to keep going further in."

"It was as if he either had no idea that something fishy was afoot or he had other intentions."

"Yeah, I mean those fucking Soundies were trying to pin us for that accursed Panzer Lehr to come."

"Yes, though tragic, thank Almighty God our captain made the right decision and led the fight to Able and Easy Company." I sighed again when he mentioned that God stuff.

"That reminds me, where the hell were they during that tank battle?" Temari asked.

"A good question. I was only able to see them for a little bit but they had stayed put with 1st Platoon's leadership. I hate to say it Shino but I was too focused on the battle to really keep my blinkers on them."

"It's all right. I was just as fixated on the action as you and Ms. Temari were. Hmm…you don't suppose that those two had any relation to the Akatsuki Panzer Lehr seeing us do you?"

"It was either them or the Soundies who watched us retreat." I answered.

"If you ask me I think it was more likely the Soundies." Temari added.

"Perhaps. Look I might be thinking a bit irrationally but so far the Leaf Army has been set up for one trap after the other. George Company met their demise through a trap, our HQ was caught unawares by a Luftwaffe bomber group, our own company ran into a mess of trouble in a town taken over by the Sound under our noses, we were ever so conveniently spotted by the Akatsuki Panzer Lehr, and then we lose half of Able and Easy Companies fighting the stubborn bastards." His normally cool and calm voice began to pick up in intensity and volume. "I could sound like I'm being paranoid, but maybe…just maybe some other trick is up their accursed sleeves!"

"Shino…"

"I've been patient for a long time Shikamaru but I'll be damned when I let the enemy step through our own back door while no one seems to suspect!" He immediately closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and looked at us again. "I'm sorry. It'd be wrong of me to lose my temper like that. Even I have my limits after everything that has transpired today." It was certainly understandable to see even the pious Shino Aburame lose his cool. From the start he had a distrust towards our Grass associates and it was starting to really manifest itself. "Guys, I still think there's something up and I will get to the bottom of it."

"Well if that the case," I put my hand on his shoulder, "then I'm behind you Shino. I'll do what I can to help."

"As will I." Temari added.

"Thank you. Even if I'm wrong and I pray I am, at least I know I'm not alone."

"That's why we're comrades in arms Shino. You sure are troublesome with that big brain of yours but I'll be damned if we didn't need it."

He chuckled. "That surprisingly lifted my spirits a little bit. Speaking of which, I suggest you two and Choji see Naruto. The poor boy has been sitting by himself with only Hinata there for him. He could use some support from his friends."

I had intended to see him alongside Choji and maybe Temari since the end of the battle, but I got too caught up with squad duties since things weren't exactly safe. Since the Air Corps arrived through we haven't heard a peep from the Soundies. Then again attacking such a large concentration of soldiers, tanks, and aircraft would be incredibly brave but stupid. Our squad was finally finished with the grave detail so of course we had our subsequent moment of respite. Sarutobi was always good on keeping his word with such matters.

"All right 3rd! You're done here. Go clean your weapons and consolidate your stuff. After the shitstorm today we need to be prepared and then we can rest."

"Sergeant?" I approached him as he whipped out a cigarette and lit it in a record-breaking two seconds.

"Yeah Nara? What's up?"

"Um well, I was gettin' kinda concerned about my pal Uzumaki given the death of Captain Umino and all. Could Akimichi and I go see him for a few minutes?"

He looked at me with the stern, stone-faced look he liked to carry. I was betting on him saying no and making us clean our weapons again and again or at least trying to maintain some sort of squad unity, but I could tell from the heavy sigh he gave a few seconds afterwards that he caved in. "Oh hell why not? The kid was a miserable wreck the second that Pershing blew up and I've seen how good of friends you and Akimichi are to him. Go see him…he probably needs it."

"Thanks sergeant."

"Don't mention it. Now get outta here before Sergeant Yamato starts asking questions. I'll keep Sergeant Mitarashi occupied as well."

"Roger that. Hey Choji! C'mon let's go see Naruto!"

"Right behind ya Shikamaru!" The big lug yelled from behind as I wandered off to find our friend.

After about five minutes of meandering through the woods, Temari, Choji, and I finally found him sitting on a large tree stump. Hinata was right there with him, her arms wrapped around him as his movements indicated he was sobbing again. She turned to see us as the snapping of twigs got her attention. Naruto was too caught up in emotion to really notice.

"Oh…h-hello guys."

"Hinata." Choji greeted with a nod. She gave Naruto a kiss on the head and walked up to us. "How is he?"

"H-he's doing ok. It-it's b-b-been real tough on hi-him." Her stutter was returning and was sounding worse than usual. "P-poor Captain Umino. N-N-Naruto re-really looked up t-to him." I could tell she welled up as well with the streaks running down her dusty and dirty face.

"Well Hinata that's why we're here. Maybe we can lend some support and help you out."

"M-mu-much obliged Shika-Shikamaru. I'll g-get some w-water." She walked back to the camp with two empty canteens. We figured that she felt that Naruto needed to talk to his friends for a little while with her gone.

"Hey buddy. Ya hangin' in there an' all?" Choji asked as he stood over Naruto. He had stopped sobbing but was still sniffling and breathing somewhat heavily.

"C'mon Naruto. It's us, Shikamaru and Choji, your two best pals. We're here to talk to ya."

He said nothing. He just sat there with his head down, tears rolling down to the tip of his nose and gently falling to the soft grass below. Some of the cuts on his face had reopened, most likely from a bout or two of agony. I looked up, though I wish I hadn't, and still saw the hulk of the _Shinobi's Pride_, as if the tank was directly in front of Naruto to look at, to torture him immensely. I turned to Temari who just gave me a shrug and a saddened look. Choji huffed in slight frustration.

"Even if we don't completely understand how ya feel Naruto," Choji squatted down to eye level with Naruto, "we're still here for you. If you want us to leave then we'll do so." He still didn't reply.

I sighed. "Ok guys…I don't think he's ready. Let's just let him be." I turned around along with Temari and slowly walked back. Choji was quick to follow suit.

"Ya know…" His voice was shaky and low. We stopped and turned around as his lips moved, but the rest of his body was as still as a rock. "They say in the Leaf Army…" He paused as he sniffled some more.

"Yeah buddy? They say in the Leaf Army…?" Choji asked.

"They say...sometimes an officer never earns the respect of his soldiers." He took a deep breath that was filled with the shakiness of his voice. "Iruka had mine from Day One. I don't think you guys ever knew the full extent of how much Iruka meant to me."

"Naruto..." I muttered.

"You guys were lucky. I mean except for Temari who lost her family tragically I never had the luxury of parents who loved me. I never knew who my parents were or what they were like. I was raised in an orphanage. I hated it for every day I could remember. No one wanted to adopt me, most of the adults there hated me, I was picked on all the time, and I was ridiculed for being so 'undesirable' as they put it. No one accepted me and for the longest time I carried a hatred towards everyone. When I was seven I ran away and never looked back. Shit I don't think they even bothered looking for me. I spent the next years living on the streets. While you guys had beds to sleep on I slept on the pavement and in alleyways. When you had roofs and windows to cover you from storms all I had were trash cans and boxes. When you had cooked meals I ate scraps of food that stray dogs left behind and stole from street vendors. When you had a mom to kiss you good night and tell you everything would be all right I had no one except my own shadow."

It had occurred to me that I never inquired on Naruto's life before we met him around eleven or twelve years of age. We just stood there, aghast at how rough the pipsqueak's life really was. We knew he was an orphan but we never inquired as to how he got by. Turns out it was worse than we thought.

"I felt like I wanted to die. I felt like I was a reject of creation, cursed to wander and suffer while people spat on me and kicked me. People would offer money to make me do embarrassing things. I hated them to the core and I wished that I didn't exist I was so lonely. It wasn't until I met Iruka that all that changed. He was an orphan when his parents died in the Great War and his life was just as rough. I was running away from a man who I stole a loaf of bread from when I was around nine. I would've been caught had he not spotted me and hid me from the man. He took pity on me when no one else would. From that day forward I pledged my loyalty to Iruka Umino. He taught me everything I know. He had lived in an abandoned apartment up on the top floor of a complex and he let me live there with him. It wasn't much, but I had a home, a bed to sleep on, a roof to shelter me, and most importantly a guardian. He showed me the ropes of how to live on the streets, how to survive, how to talk to girls, how to be tough, how to read, how to be more of a normal person. Had it not been for him I don't think I'd have ever met you guys or have gone to school even with the grades I got. Had it not been for him I'd have been dead by now. He always told me that I had great potential and that one day I'd meet the girl of my dreams, that I'd raise a family of my own, and that I'd achieve greatness. He kept me going when no one else did."

We were getting choked up from all of it. Even Temari had trouble holding it in. She knew how awful life could be. Her life was torn apart by outside forces rather than Naruto having a lack of a normal one though. Still, we all felt empathy for the poor kid.

"When I was old enough to take care of myself he had gone into the Leaf Army. He said he wanted to make a better man of himself and he did…he really did. He was my hero then and he was my hero when I first put on this uniform. I was just a good-for-nothing private and he made it all the way to captain, but he…but he…" He started shaking again, "he never, never gave up on me. He watched me get through boot camp. He helped me when I couldn't get anything right. Strangely enough, it was Iruka who suggested I help out Hinata whenever I could. You could say he was partly responsible for me being with Hinata. And now...he's gone...he died trying to protect us, protect me. He told me that he's never been..." He started crying again which forced a tear or two from even the mighty Choji. "He told me that he's never more proud of me and who I became. I wanted to show him I could do more. I wanted him to be there when I married Hinata and had a family, I wanted him to be the godfather of my children, but now he's gone. He's never coming back. I felt like his son and I never got to tell him that he truly felt like a father to me."

"Naruto, I'm sure he felt it even if you never told him." I tried to convince him.

He wiped his nose and eyes with his sleeve before he sniffled some more. "I know."

"Well do remember this, he fought and died for you and everyone else in his company and ours. There's no higher honor than that." Shino busted out with his usual eloquence out of nowhere. We accepted it with no commentary. "We won't forget him and I know he's up there watching over you."

"Hey man," Choji rested his hand on Naruto's shoulder, "just remember. We're here for ya, always."

Naruto grabbed his other canteen which was nearly empty and poured whatever water was left in it right down his throat. "Thanks…thanks guys. Ya think Iruka's was really that proud of me?"

"Of course. We're all proud of what you've done since we first met you. You've survived not one, but two close calls. You got promoted when no one thought you would. You've earned the respect of the captain even with that insubordination call with the Waterfall children. You have a protégé in the form of Konohamaru. And I think most importantly…" Shino crept a little closer and lowered his voice, "you discovered the woman you were meant to be with, Hinata bless her soul, and I know God will keep the both of you safe." Of course I found such commentary a little troublesome but I couldn't resist turning my head to Temari who was watching Shino console Naruto.

"_The woman you were meant to be with…_"

"_Please, don't ever leave me._"

"_I won't Temari. I promise you. I won't leave you as long as you don't leave me._" The words and their familiar voices flowed through my head like the calm air flowing through our bodies. I hated how Shino's talk always screwed with my normally lackadaisical pattern of thought, but it always made me really think. Perhaps she too, like Hinata with Naruto, is the woman I was meant to be with. A tragedy it had to come like this though and not a more peaceful way.

"You guys…I appreciate all this. I really do. I'm sorry, I just…I just need a little more time to gather myself. I'm sorry to do this to you all." He responded. As hard as he fought it the tears still crept down his face.

"It's all right Naruto." I replied. "C'mon guys, let's get to doin' our thing." Shino, Temari, and Choji joined me in walking back to the main campsite. Approaching us was Hinata with two full canteens of water, and not a moment too soon.

"Sh-Shikamaru…is he, is he feeling b-better?"

"He'll be ok. Captain Umino's death, after what he told us, is a harder pill to swallow than I had ever imagined. It's gonna take some time, but he'll be ok. Be there for him Hinata. Choji and I can do what we can, but it's really you that is his driving force now. You told us that he was your driving force and that you never despaired because of him, that you loved him for always helping you out and giving you strength to carry on. Well, do the same thing for him in his moment of need."

"Yeah Hinata," Choji stepped in, "he loves you and you know that. Let him know he's not alone and that he has a shoulder to cry on."

She nodded gently. "Yes, of c-course. I'll do wh-what I c-c-can. Aft-t-ter all, I do love him."

"And that alone is why you're one of the greatest things to happen in that kid's life Hinata. Take care."

"You t-too...and aga-again...thank you."

We left her to console her lover once more as he wept. We knew we couldn't get him back to his usual self with his inexhaustible optimism, but we managed to let him know that we were behind him all the way.

"She's a good woman that Hinata is." Temari commented.

"That she is Ms. Temari. It's a shame that she hasn't been able to get over that stutter but she's been like that for a while. I do notice her improving ever since Naruto got more into her life though. I don't know what to make of everything that's going on in this world but I do know that love like that makes at least something worth fighting for."

"_Truer words that were never spoken Shino_." I thought to myself as I glanced at Temari again. I then thought about Naruto and Hinata. I thought about Naruto's ambition to propose to her when the time was right and how even more dedicated he became to her since her horrible injuries. "_She is your woman Naruto. Take care of her and that moment you're wishing for will come._"

"Hey guys, I'm gonna go see what Ino's up to and of course help clean up some of the mess. Take it easy."

"You too Choji."

Shino looked around from side to side to make sure no one else was within earshot. "Ok now on to more pressing matters, getting to the bottom of those Grass partisans."

"You sure it's such a good idea Shino? I mean, we're smack dab in front of everyone!"

"I know sneaking around like a pack of urchins is a shot to my pride but if there's no other effective way then so be it."

"I don't like it."

"Well like I said, it's nothing to be proud of but I cannot get over my suspicions. Will you at the very least just help me even if you don't believe me?"

I sighed for a second and pondered. It wasn't really like me to go snooping on people but Shino had been harping about these suspicions from the start. I turned to Temari and then thought about everything that transpired today, the whole shitstorm that was unleashed on the Leaf Army. For a brief second, the very suspicion manifested itself in me. "All right Shino, I'm in. Temari?"

"I am if you are Shikamaru."

We went about skulking around the camp, looking for the two of them. We figured they would've been with some sort of leadership, but alas there was nothing.

"Where on God's green Earth could they be?" Shino pondered slightly frustrated.

"I don't know Shino. I'm thinking we're lucky enough not to be stopped and questioned by one of the officers." He was right to be annoyed. These two guys were nowhere to be found when we needed them.

"Keep looking, I'm sure they're around somewhere."

"Are you sure? I mean what are we gonna do if we spot them?" Temari asked.

"We keep a low profile and gather some information about them. If luck and the Lord are on our side then they'll be alone and completely unsuspecting."

We continued to search through the areas where Able, Easy, and Fox Company were bedding down and planning. The darkness didn't help much since it felt more like looking for two needles in a haystack.

"Damn it, they have to be here somewhere." Shino quietly complained.

"Look, we tried looking and we haven't found squat. We'll see them some other time ok?"

"I thought you said Sergeant Sarutobi was covering you."

"Yeah but he can only cover us for so long. He still thinks I'm with Naruto."

He sighed in disappointment. "Ok...you're right. I shouldn't be so aggravated anyway. It doesn't do the body and goo...wait a second. Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Temari inquired.

We immediately stopped moving and heard some faint chatter. Shino must have supersonic hearing or something because they were very light in tone and almost completely out of point blank ear range. We saw two dark figures talking amongst themselves.

"C'mon this way, I found a spot where we can listen in concealed." Temari pointed to some thick shrubbery as we crept over making the biggest effort not to make a peep.

"This is certainly a turn towards the surreal."

"How do you figure Tobi?"

"I don't get it. I'm amazed they're able to survive all those traps the Sound laid out for them. The planned air strike, the annihilation of one of their companies, the Panzer Lehr..."

"You forgot the village."

"Ah yes, of course...the village. Poor guys, they never had a chance." A faint chuckle came from Tobi which surprised Temari and me. Why would something so tragic carry some sort of lighthearted humor? "Luck was on the side of Fox Company that the Panzer Lehr didn't show up otherwise we'd all be toast."

"Yeah...luck..."

"They're certainly suspicious Shino I'll give ya that," I whispered to him, "but I'm not seeing any evidence of foul play."

"Good point, let's still hear them out." He replied.

"So...do you think the others have any idea?" Tobi asked.

Itachi grinned. "Well I'm sure they'll hear word of the Panzer Lehr's demise. Certainly not good for the morale of the Sound wouldn't you agree."

"Absolutely. Nevertheless, time is of the essence."

"What do you mean Tobi?"

"What I mean, is that perhaps we should accelerate our operations with the state of the current affairs and what just transpired."

"What're they talking about?" I muttered to get a tap on the head from Temari.

"Shut up and let 'em speak!"

"Yes, of course. I was told there was a command meeting with Captain Hatake and First Sergeant Guy in about an hour or so. I know they asked for us since we're still the link to the Grass Resistance."

"Well in that case we'll have to rearrange our act. Turns out our original idea didn't work quite the way we wanted it to thanks to the damned Sound Army and their tricks." Itachi said.

"Yes it's been quite burdensome. Count on those people to always foul up something."

"Anyway, they're probably wondering where we are. I suggest we get back and cozy up with some of their leadership. Things are already on edge here and we can't go about mucking it up. The Fox Company commander has already prevented us from getting near due to safety reasons but we need to get close to him to show him what we were trying to offer."

"Indeed. Let's get going then."

The two of them ground their cigarettes into the dirt and turned to walk back to the camp. Tobi suddenly stopped and looked around including in our direction. "Say...did you hear something?"

"I heard a lot of things Tobi. Let's get going."

"Right...let's go." We laid perfectly still under we were certain the coast was clear. It was about another thirty seconds until we were sure they were out of range. We scanned the area and then all got down on a knee.

"Well?" Shino looked at us with an inquisitorial look carrying a certain "I told you so," look to it.

"I see what you mean. It was certainly some fishy language Corporal Aburame." Temari answered.

"Yeah I agree. I'm not one hundred percent certain, but your suspicions aren't completely unfounded."

"I suggest we find a way to gather some more intelligence on the two. If we can get our hands on that satchel that the one called Itachi carries perhaps there might be some written documentation as to who they really are. I cannot believe our leadership still doesn't suspect them."

"I'm sure it's crossed their minds Shino, but honestly they've got a shitload more to think about than the likes of us who have the time to go snooping around."

"You don't need to be facetious in this Shikamaru."

"I'm not trying to be facetious Shino. I'm just saying that's the fact of the matter."

"Good point. Well I still say we must get to the bottom of this before something happens."

"And just what in the fuck are you three doing?" The sudden introduction of another person had startled all three of us as we nearly landed back on our asses. It was Sasuke who was in quite the surprised and agitated look, a fresh cigarette lit in his mouth.

"Um, Sasuke...hi?" I innocently tried to lighten the mood. It failed.

"I'll ask again, what the hell are you three doing?"

"Everything's ok sergeant. We were just um..."

"Were you snooping on those Grass partisans or something? Was that it?" We all shook our heads.

"I hope not. Shino I've already talked to you about your stupid little suspicions. I figured for such a learned man you'd develop a sense of trust. So were you snooping on them?"

"No! No...Shikamaru just lost um, some of his cleaning kit, yeah."

"Yeah that's right sergeant. We were just walking around and like an idiot I had my stuff out in my hand and I tripped. Fuckin' things went everywhere."

"Hmm...you sure about that?"

"Yes...very sure Sergeant Uchiha. Yeah this kid is quite the klutz. Oh there're some pieces right there!" She weakly chuckled as she fumbled her hand on the ground for a few seconds, but then stood up to show Sasuke a couple of bristle and wire brushes.

He nodded. "I see. Well if that's the case then watch your fucking shit Nara. Get your asses back to base when you're done playing search party ya got it?"

"Yes sergeant." Shino meekly responded.

"And one more thing. Leave those two alone. It sucks enough we had to go through that shitstorm and I don't want some…hunch…fucking up anything else all right?"

He turned and walked his way to where Sakura was lounging around after a hard day's work. If I had a hazard to guess he was probably going to try and plead her to stop fiddling around with that flamethrower of hers.

"Wow. I cannot believe we got away with that." I said in a state of near shock. It was a sticky situation and a terrible cover story to boot. "I gotta reward you for that bail-out Temari."

"You can always thank me later." She gave me a peck on the cheek.

"Yes, good work Ms. Temari."

"Well luckily while you actually didn't have your stuff in your hand, I managed to sneak into my pocket and grab a couple of those brushes when you guys were trying to use that crappy excuse."

"Ok you don't have to rub it in Temari."

"Nonsense. When my Shikamaru talks out of his ass I cannot resist."

"Troublesome..."

"Well troublesome or not, that was a close one and I'm sorry I dragged you into it."

"Nah don't sweat it Shino. I'm glad you did because now I know what you're talking about. We still gotta find a way to get something on those two."

"Indeed. I suggest we get back to camp, let our squads know we're still around, and then if time allows us we can find something they aren't carrying on them or pray Itachi puts down that satchel of his."

We got back near the campfires where the squads were sitting, shooting the shit while cleaning their weapons with their cleaning cloths. Right in front of me 3rd squad was all together, Choji getting some help from Ino cleaning that massive .30 cal of his while the rest attended to their business. Sarutobi spotted me.

"Nara…what gives? I said only a few minutes and it turns into fifteen, maybe twenty?"

"Sorry sergeant. I got caught up in the conversation."

"Well you're lucky. Sergeant Yamato didn't really raise a fuss or even ask about anyone and Sergeant Mitarashi doesn't seem to be too upset over Uzumaki's sorrow and absence from the squad. Anything else I should know about Nara?"

"Um, nothing sergeant. There's nothing else really."

"Ok good. If that's the case then sit with your squad for a change. We've been a little lonely without ya Nara. I had to convince Toyama many a time that you'd return ain't I right?"

"Oh yeah, I was beside myself until you showed up Shikamaru." A few chuckles from the squad came out.

"That's cute Kaz. Real cute…"

Temari and I spent the next fifteen minutes enduring the constant sarcasm of Sarutobi. Of course Ino would try and chime in from time to time but a quick, witty quip from me or Temari put her in her place. I had to admit thought he was my sergeant, Sarutobi was embarrassing me rather unnecessarily in front of the new kids. However, the thought of those two partisans crossed the back of my mind, and I couldn't resist the temptation to discuss amongst the people I felt I could trust the most.

"So guys…you have any particular feelings about those Grass partisans?" I blurted out during the brief moment of silence after the previous conversation.

"What're talkin' about Shikamaru?" Ino pondered.

"Well I mean…they're still with us."

"And your point is?"

"Well why haven't we run into anyone else from the resistance? And another thing, did you all feel rather strange entering that town before we found out it was a trap?" The majority of the squad shook their head.

"Well Nara I've always got that funny feeling so there was nothing special about that one." Sarutobi replied.

I was struggling for an affirmation towards my feelings. Choji looked around and raised his hand. "I felt slightly suspicious."

"_Good old Choji. I knew he wouldn't let me down._"

"Elaborate Akimichi…" Sarutobi said.

"Well, they were talkin' about the town like everything was hunky dory when in reality it was swarmin' with Soundies. The looks on those partisans on the rooftop also kinda gave me the impression they didn't really know these fellas Tobi and Itachi. And I figured something, when we were ambushed by the Sound, if they were really steamed about watching their comrades die like that, they'd have shown a little more effort in fighting. Sure they took some potshots but made little effort compared to us."

"Hmm…that is true now that you mention it." replied Nakamura. "I still figure they're on the level though."

"It's tough to say." Ino chimed in. "I mean yeah if they were up to something they certainly would've done it at the HQ, at least that's what I was thinking."

"Not a bad notion Yamanaka, but we can't really go on a witch hunt or anything." Sarutobi commented. "If ya ask me I haven't seen anything wrong yet. Then again I haven't really seen much of them so I cannot comment. However, that doesn't mean any of you can go sneaking around looking for any sign of foul play. Let's just get back to our tasks at hand. Hey and just letting you know, I've gotta go to a platoon meeting in about an hour or so. Nara's in charge while I'm away all right."

"Yes sergeant." We all reply.

"Good. Like I said though…no funny stuff."

We cleaned our weapons and sorted out our kits to pass the time. Temari and I would give occasional glances to each other but nothing too public as to not rouse the peanut gallery. Nevertheless I had to see Shino again. "Sergeant, I gotta go take care of some personal business. Just letting ya know."

"Thanks for the news beat Nara. Go on."

I wandered around looking for Shino who I found sitting along writing in his little journal.

"Hey…psst! Hey Shino!" I quietly called to him, just loud enough to get his attention alone. "Hey I think now would be an excellent time to try and dig something up. I just gave Sarutobi the slip and from the looks of it you managed to evade Sasuke."

"That's right. I won't go into any detail considering we have bigger fish to fry am I right?"

"Of course. C'mon I know where their kits are."

The two of us rushed over to where Tobi and Itachi had their things laid out. We didn't have much time so we had to be quick and precise. So far all we found were small packages of food and some maps. The maps had some outlines of Sound areas but they weren't really what we were looking for.

"Hey Shino, whaddaya make of this?" I held up a couple sticks of dynamite and from the looks of it very, very crude dynamite. It was shit that would probably explode before you got the chance to toss it.

"Hmm…homemade explosives, the common tool of the guerilla. Keep going but remember where those things were. If they're as smart as I think they are they'll notice misplaced items."

Most of the other things we found were common civilian items such as blankets, knives, a couple books.

"Hey look at this! This is kinda interesting." Shino tossed one of the books to me. It looked like a graphic novel or comic book, black and white with nothing but pictures, captions, and ink.

"Hmm…_The Path of the Ninja_ huh?" I thumbed through more of the pages, my curiosity piqued. What I saw was pure outlandishness. "What the…? Jutsu? Chakra? A Nine-Tailed Fox Demon? Shadow Possession what? Summoning giant toads? Shadow clones and…what is this word? Sharingan? What the hell does Sharingan mean? The fuck is this stupid shit? Are these people high?"

"Wow I take it you're not a fan Shikamaru…"

"Well I mean look at this crap. They got cameras, but no cars. They got modern hospitals, but their weapons are fucking tags and knives. They look fucking stupid. Haven't they ever heard of shoes?"

"That's a nice diatribe there but don't we have something to accomplish? Crap. Someone's coming! Quick, hide!" Shino muttered as we packed everything back in and dove behind some trees. We leaned up beside them and didn't move a muscle.

"Hey Itachi, the command meeting for Fox Company and a bunch of others is pretty soon. I suggest we join them on the double."

"Of course, of course. It'd be wise to get in touch with all of them. Perhaps maybe we can finally have a word with the captain if you catch my drift."

"Indeed I do. Do you have what you need?"

"I do. I just hope we've got everything planned accordingly."

"Ya know, for some reason I still cannot get over how lucky everyone has been with what happened."

"I'm with you on that. Wouldn't have wanted to be around had Major Hoshigake got his hands on those poor saps."

"_How do they know about the Akatsuki Panzer Lehr commander?_" I looked at Shino who was equally as puzzled.

"Well he's had the tendency to be a little over the top. Did you see that tank? I've never seen such a thing in all my life."

There was that damn satchel again! That probably had the goods we needed to bust them. I couldn't believe it, they were collaborators or worse…spies. We had to stop them but we were already confronted by Sasuke about the matter. Unless we had some concrete proof all they would hear are hearsay and rumors.

"Pompous idiot. I never could quite understand what drove him to such an ego." Itachi remarked.

"Look, I cannot argue with the powers that be. Besides, it's almost time for the meeting. Let's go…and hope we can get this accomplished."

"Right." The two of them scurried off but not before I noticed the satchel spilling out a couple of small items. They seemed totally oblivious as they continued to rush off.

"Shino…now's our chance!" We quickly rushed over like pigeons over crumbs of bread on the stuff that fell. So far they seemed to be some useless documents and other crap that was useless to us. "Damn it, there's gotta be something!" Look at us. Two of the smartest people in all of 2nd Platoon reduced to spying and stealing anything we could get our hands on to incriminate two people we were convinced were not the friends we had made them out to be.

"I got it! Look Shikamaru!" Shino handed me some papers and ID cards. Thumbing through them our suspicions became horribly true. "I prayed I was wrong but it seemed the Lord thought otherwise." He gulped as I read the letter aloud, squinting to catch the words while Shino had his flashlight lit.

_By the order of the Supreme Fuhrer Orochimaru,_

_Tobi and Itachi,_

_As of 4 October, you are hereby tasked with this covert assignment. The Leaf enemy is planning a sweeping invasion of the Grass and Rain Nations. We intend to not grant them this luxury since the loss of the Waterfall Nation. Already we have Major Hoshigake's Panzer Lehr group and a tactical squadron of Luftwaffe poised to strike at them when they least suspect it. If sheer brute force is what they use, then we shall counter with deception and traps. You are tasked to reach their HQ and sabotage any operations you can while posing as Grass "partisans." If you cannot accomplish this, use your aliases to lead any and all Leaf Army units into our controlled towns or to the Akatsuki Panzer Lehr. Once trapped they will be utterly destroyed and have no other option but to retreat back to Konoha. Your other objective is to assassinate as many command personnel as possible to disrupt their operations. If confronted by any of our units, present these ID papers and they will assist you in any way possible. You are two of the best we have and it is with confidence that I assign you these tasks. If you should die, then remember you served the Sound Nation to the fullest. Victory to the Sound!_

_Signed,_

_Field Marshal Kabuto Yakushi_

"Holy shit…" I muttered. "It gets even worse." I thumbed through their ID papers which led to a startling discovery. "Itachi…is…"

"Itachi Uchiha." His ID papers said the name and had the seal of the Sound Army command. "I know, there's a picture." Shino handed me the picture where I saw a young boy and a teenager together. What was even more frightening was that this boy looked exactly like Sasuke. Sasuke had told us about losing his parents in the Great War and losing his brother Itachi years afterwards. This was unreal. "Come on, we have to tell them immediately! They're gonna kill the captain! Grab the papers!"

We ran like hell with the papers in hand but before we got even near the command tent it started lighting up with muzzle flashes. The guns went off for another few seconds until all that was left was a bunch of hollering and screams of agony. We froze.

"What the fuck? What was that?"

"It came from the command tent!"

"Captain Hatake! First Sergeant Guy!" Sergeant Mitarashi screamed at the top of her lungs.

Like a pack of angry hornets, Fox Company swarmed towards the tent. Already outside were sentries screaming from their wounds.

"Get some medics in here! NOW!" We were relieved to hear the voice of the captain.

"Son of a bitch! Fucking turncoats!" It had seemed the first sergeant was alive as well thank God. "Get me a medic! I've been hit!" But he was wounded.

"The fuck is going on here?" Sasuke demanded.

"Sergeant! The Grass partisans, they're the enemy!"

"WHAT?!" His eyes widened as he ran into the tent. "Oh God…they killed Yamato!" We rushed in as well to find our platoon sergeant lying on his stomach, completely motionless. Tobi was dead with about ten bullet holes in him, the first sergeant was on his back with a nasty shoulder wound while Lee helped him control the bleeding, the captain was dressing an arm wound and one of the Ranger sergeants lay there dead like Sergeant Yamato. LT Uzuki was nowhere to be seen and the other leaders of Fox Company were scrambling to help including LT Ishida who got hit in the hip.

"Motherfuckers!" Sasuke yelled as he approached the bound Itachi and started kicking him furiously. "Let him go Ibiki…this asshole is mine!" Sergeant Morino let him go as Sasuke slugged Itachi in the jaw, grabbed him by his hair, and dragged him outside where everyone was watching. He shoved him on his belly and tied a blindfold around his eyes. Everyone was calling for blood like ravenous animals.

"Kill that prick Sasuke! Do it! Kill that traitorous fuck!" Sakura screamed from the crowd.

"SASUKE!" He yelled to his brother. "Please!"

"Shut up! Shut your God damned mouth! You killed our platoon sergeant and tried to kill our captain. You turncoat, sneaky, deceitful piece of shit!"

"Please…listen to me…it's me…"

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Sasuke slammed him in the back of the head and then forced him on his knees.

"Sasuke…It's me…Itachi…your brother…please don't kill me Sasuke! Don't kill your brother." His look turned from malice to shock. To him, Itachi Uchiha died a long time ago. "Listen to your brother, please."

He was started to sweat bullets as the crowd got worse. His Colt was still pressed on Itachi's temple, his grip on it shaking. Was he really believing what Itachi told him? Did he really think he was his brother, whom he thought was long dead? His breathing became harder and his eyes were widening with anxiety. "Shikamaru…show him the papers!" Shino muttered to me. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't. I was frozen in the moment, in the sheer chaos of it all.

"Sasuke…" Itachi muttered once again. I could feel the fear in Itachi even if he knew what he was tasked to do would mean death anyway. It was a strange twist of fate that it was his brother in the very unit he was in. Sasuke kept breathing heavier and shaking as the crowd got louder until he then just stopped. His bewildered look turned into a hateful scowl.

"My brother huh?" He took a deep breath and let it out, the grip of his pistol firm and resolute. "My brother died a long time ago. How dare you. You're just an impostor."

"SASUKE!"

_BLAM!_ The pistol report silenced the whole crowd as Itachi Uchiha crumpled to the ground, the blood from his wound already flowing all around the dirt he collapsed on. He took a cigarette, lit it, and took a nice, big drag from it. "Motherfucker…"

"Sasuke…" I muttered as the whole crowd just stood there watching him.

"C'mon Sasuke…let's go." Sakura approached him.

"Ok babe, gimme a second." He turned to me and Shino. "And what the fuck are you two staring at?!"

Shino and I took a step back as we shook from the adrenaline and the terror of the whole incident. "Nothing sergeant," I replied as I crumpled the papers and photo I had with my hand, "nothing at all."


	28. Chapter 28

"Jesus

"_Jesus._" I thought to myself as I stood there watching the lifeless corpse of Itachi Uchiha, Sound collaborator and spy, completely still on the ground. "_What the fuck is happening?_" Almost everyone in the crowd had cleared, the wounded were being treated, Sergeant Yamato's body was being carried away, and the man who had just killed the very person in front of me, Sasuke Uchiha, went off to vent with Sakura. I just stood there like an idiot, staring at the aftermath of such an unexpected surprise.

"The fuck you doin' just standin' there Nara? Fuck that traitor! Let the bastard rot where he lies!" Sergeant Mitarashi yelled from the side as I could hear her approach me. "Ya hear me corporal?"

"Hey Anko, leave him be…" To the rescue came Sarutobi's surprisingly calm voice. "He's my corporal and I'll talk to him." She grumbled something as she walked off. "Nara...what's going on?"

I couldn't speak. To the right of me Shino was just as speechless as he looked right at me. I couldn't shake the feeling that he was somewhat upset not only at the situation, but at the fact that I did not give Sasuke the papers when his own brother was admitting the truth to him. What have I done?

"Nara! You with us? And what about you Aburame?"

I snapped out of it. "Um, yes sergeant...I'm here." He walked up to me, like he did when the tank battle was over, and put his hand on my shoulder. For some odd reason, I always felt more at ease with Sarutobi around. I still felt like the novice greenie and him the grizzled veteran. I always felt like he knew more than me about pretty much everything. I felt slightly better knowing Temari wasn't around to see this, but what was I going to tell Sarutobi?

"Fucked up shit ain't it Nara? Snakes in the grass…"

"Yeah…real fucked up."

"S'matter Nara? Something's gotten you all shook up?" He heard my hand grip the crumpled papers a little tighter. "What're those?"

I could've told him they were nothing. I could've told him they were just useless journal notes that I felt like casting into the fire. I could've buried the whole issue then and there, but I didn't. I gave them to him. He opened them up and next to the fire he read them as he became very disturbed, as Shino and I were when we first read them.

"Holy shit…"

"Now you know sergeant."

"I mean, oh my God…he just killed…oh fuck…" I sighed. For some odd reason the guilt was pounding into me. Itachi was a traitor and would've been killed anyway for what happened, but to have his own brother do it, and for Sasuke to just consider him an impostor and not know the real truth was even more disturbing. "His brother…his own brother he just killed…and he didn't even know it?"

"Sergeant," Shino approached us, "we tried to get to the command tent with this intel before…this…"

"So you two went snooping around on these two huh?"

"Yes sergeant. I know it was underhanded but we were suspicious." Shino replied almost apologetically.

Sarutobi grunted and then took a drag from his cigarette. "Relax, I'm not mad at you. But, we have to give these to the captain. I guess I know now what you were talking about with those two Nara. Fuck…"

"So what're we gonna do?"

"I can tell you what were not gonna do guys, and that's let Uchiha know about this."

"But sergeant," Shino protested, "we can't keep this a secret from him!"

"Wow, for an academy student you sure are an idiot Aburame. Are you crazy? We just lost our platoon sergeant, we just lost half of our tank strength, our captain and first sergeant were almost killed, and we were just duped by a couple of Sound spies, one of whom was the brother of Sergeant Uchiha whom he so ironically just executed! Sometimes the truth needs to take a back seat, and I'm gonna make damn sure the other NCOs don't say a fucking peep to Uchiha about this. I would also request that you two keep your traps shut about this ordeal as well. I'm off. Like I said you two…not a fucking peep!"

"Yes sergeant." We replied as we walked off. I huffed again as Shino just stared at the ground.

"You couldn't give Sasuke the papers. You just froze there like a child."

"Excuse me?"

"Why didn't you show Sasuke the truth?"

"What in…the fuck does it matter to you Shino? Did you maybe stop to think that ignorance is bliss?"

"Look at you Mr. Moral Relativism!"

"How would you feel knowing you just executed your own long-lost brother Shino?"

"Well maybe he could've been saved! Maybe Sasuke would've shown some compassion and there'd be one less piece of savagery tonight, but no. We did nothing and watched a public execution as the mob cried for blood. We're no better than the Soundies are…"

"Shino…they killed Yamato! They were traitors! They set us up to die on multiple occasions, including that fucking Panzer group!" I was furious at the gall of this smartass to get on that moral pedestal of his. "It was by the grace of God, whom you so lovingly fixate your life off of, that we're not all dead!"

His face trembled with a mix of anger and remorse. I think there was part of him that didn't want to accept the fact that Sasuke should never know what he did and a part that wished for a more civilized manner in dealing with the Sound spies. My true guess was that he was also rattled that his suspicions led to the startling truth, our inability to deliver the message in time, and the death of our platoon sergeant amongst others. It was a conflict of his brain against his heart against his gut and against his faith. Seeing Sasuke kill his brother, unknowingly even with Itachi's confession, rattled Shino to no end. "I'm, I'm sorry...you, you are right, Shikamaru." His voice was shaky and broken from its usually sophisticated and scholarly tone. "I don't know why I seemed to be so insistent on having Sasuke learn the truth. Perhaps...perhaps it is better to let sleeping dogs lie, even if it is forever. Today...has been too much for me. There has been too much carnage, bloodshed, and tears. Too much..." For the first time, in my life, I have now witnessed our platoon scholar, the most stoic and level-headed creature on the planet, in a rare moment of vulnerability. He had mentioned his fatigue before but not at this level of frustration. As a fellow man of intelligence, it would be downright uncivilized to point out such things in these moments of perceived weakness. I nodded respectfully and huffed. Ain't no man ever going to say that grief has overcome them once in their lives. The grief just so happened to have finally caught up to Shino. Here was a man who had shown reserve in front of the emotional Naruto, the once-timid Hinata, the wily Kiba, and the cocky Sakura, now caught up in his own emotion. For all his quips, for all his dialogue of faith and intelligence, and for all of his counsel for the others, here was a moment where it seemed he needed some guidance not just from his faith.

"Sarutobi always told me," I replied as I approached Shino, "that there will be days where it feels like too much. What matters though, is how you get through it, lest that 'too much' destroys your will. Lesser men would cry and want to go home, but it takes a real man to stand up, dust themselves off, and keep slogging through. You said you wanted to be that 'dirt-caked, hard-charging, gritty infantryman that would slog through hell for victory.' Well, looks like this comes with the territory."

He smirked. "Never thought I'd see the day you, the lazy and cynical Shikamaru Nara, would be consoling me. So much for my perfect streak..."

"No one's perfect Shino. No matter how hard of a shell you create around yourself, there's always an opening. This war's changing everyone, Sarutobi keeps tellin' me. It changed Naruto, changed Hinata, changed Kiba, changed Choji, and that's only a few..."

"Aye, and let's not forget you and that fetching Sand woman of yours."

"Of course..."

"Shikamaru! I got here as soon as I heard the shots..." she looked around and frowned, "but I see I was too late for anything. What happened? Wait...lemme guess...Corporal Aburame was correct huh?"

"Sad but true Temari." I replied with a stone face. "They killed our platoon sergeant amongst several others. We got 'em though."

"Fuck...any idea who they were?"

"You really wanna know?" She nodded with anxiety. "Well, they were both Sound spies and that is the obvious bit, but their true identities were a little more disturbing. Ya know how Sasuke was noting how similar Tobi and Itachi looked to him?" She nodded again. "Tobi was someone called Madara Uchiha and Itachi, he was Sasuke's brother."

"His brother?! You sure about that?"

"I wish I wasn't. His name was Itachi Uchiha, the long-thought dead brother of Sasuke. How this Madara Uchiha was related to Sasuke we don't know, but the worst part is this. When we discovered what they did, Sasuke dragged Itachi out as his brother pleaded to him. He executed him thinking he was nothing but an impostor. He killed his older brother and didn't even know it." I didn't tell her that I failed to let Sasuke know or that Shino and I were previously quarreling over that very action.

"Wow. What a head trip."

"Apparently Itachi thought the same thing Shikamaru."

"Whaddaya mean?"

"Well you gave most of the intel to Sergeant Sarutobi, but I managed to get myself a couple journal scribblings from the two of them. I only scanned through them, but they kind of give us a little more insight as to what was going on. Here, take a look at them."

Temari and I huddled around Shino as we found a slightly more secluded spot. Security was tighter than a fish's ass in the Leaf Army's attempt to form some sort of defensive perimeter but nevertheless the three of us found a secluded spot and with flashlights in hand, we rummaged through the notes. The first excerpt read:

_Day 4: Got assignment from Field Marshal Yakushi for the Grass Nation campaign. Told us we were to pose as Grass Nation partisans and disrupt those accursed Leaf armies. Of course Kabuto doesn't know a thing about what we do or how we do it since all he sees are results. I'd be better off communicating with Major Hoshigake that freak. The grunts spotted a Water armor group moving west near one of the small towns we recently occupied. Tobi says we need to stay on course, but I think there's nothing wrong with lending a hand. Water forces won't mobilize for another week or so, so we can bide our time_."

_Day 10: We managed to occupy a small town inhabited by Grass partisans. How ironic eh? Their fight was pathetic as they surrendered quicker than we expected. They're certainly not the stubborn bastards of the Sand Resistance. I've run afoul of those rebels and it wasn't pretty. Itachi nearly lost an arm from one of those accursed Sand booby traps. Heard rumors that they've linked up with the Leaf Army they're so desperate and even better one of those brats of the late Kazekage was killed in Takigakure fighting with the Leafers. One down, two to go huh?_" Temari had a twinge of anger build inside her."_They caved in thinking we'd show some mercy and run them off. We had other plans._"

"Holy shit this Tobi guy or Madara should I say, was more sinister than I originally thought."

"Keep reading."

"_As the orders said we're now 'Grass partisans' so I guess Itachi and I have to act the part. These Grass bumpkins don't look too hard to impersonate and are not nearly as tightly bound as some of the other resistance movements. Too easy. These Leaf and Water idiots won't know what hit them._"

"_Day 12: Worked like a damn charm! Those gullible Water tanks rolled right into the abattoir thinking there were nothing but Grass partisans in here. The funniest part is that they bought into us being Grass fighters and all. Stupid, gullible island morons! Though he personally scares the hell out of me, I must give my thanks to Major Hoshigake for his assistance in their utter annihilation. A pity we had to execute four of those Grass towners, but all's fair in war eh? Managed to get Itachi to crack a smile from that one._"

"Oh shit...you mean those ruined Water tanks were...?"

"Yes. They were the same ones in that village we were ambushed in. Let's see another one."

"_Day 15: This whole baiting and trapping game is getting a little tiresome. Haven't run into any significant Leaf units, though I did hear from intelligence that their ANBU Rangers were already in along with the establishment of a forward HQ. I wonder what those gung-ho goons are doing creeping around in places they don't belong. Wouldn't be smart to try and go stalk them since they'd probably waste me and Tobi without batting an eye. Intel is gonna have to keep their eye on them. Also got word of the Luftwaffe building some makeshift airfields. Turns out higher command had even bigger ideas on how to deal with our naive little Leaf friends. Poor saps, they seem to think they can just run over anything with sheer numbers. It proved to be our downfall over in Takigakure and Kumogakure. Well it seems Orochimaru has finally learned from those debacles. Always a pleasure to help in his schemes._"

"_Day 17: Managed to approach the Leaf HQ with little fuss. No one here seems to be suspicious one bit. Tobi was dumbfounded. I laughed on the inside. Poor fools, they have no idea. We spoke with a Major Shizune just recently. A bit of a fetching woman I must say, but now is the time for business and besides she's the enemy. She kinda reminds me of Field Marshal Pein's lover Konan, his chief intelligence officer and second in command propaganda officer. Hell I wish she was the main prop officer. She's so much better-spoken and she's a damn pretty woman. Figures the Akatsuki Field Marshal gets the good one. That crazy blowhard Hidan just will not shut up. Good thing he's in Amekagure right now because the last thing I wanted was to be anywhere near him. Getting ahead of myself. Well Tobi's skills with people managed to garner this major's trust. Nothing like 'crucial intelligence' to make some officer's mouth water! She said they got a whole mess of troops coming to help 'poor, struggling resistance fighters like me and Tobi.' HA! Talk about naiveté!_"

"Wow, so much for superior intelligence."

"Well you cannot hold it against Major Shizune one hundred percent. It was a tactic we were unfamiliar with, but I must warn you it gets worse."

"Wonderful..." Temari muttered.

"_Day 18: Turns out those Rangers got themselves in a bit of a pickle judging by whom we saw barreling down the hill in some shot-up Jeeps. Some Leaf soldiers and a Ranger LT nearly crashed into the HQ trying to outrun our forces. God bless 'em for their fortitude I'll give 'em that. Apparently they were told to meet up with us and chit-chat, something I'm very proficient in as compared to my sullen companion Itachi. They looked like the typical idiots, save for a couple like the Sand fighter and the sniper with the black hair she was palling around with._"

"Should I be flattered?"

"Hush Shikamaru...let's keep reading." She replied back to me.

"_Did a little dog and pony show for them to show them I was good people. Hell I even busted out the old magic trick on this one kid. Kinda feel sorry about them needing to be disposed of for victory but I guess that's life. About an hour after 'entertaining,' the rest of their ilk showed up. Seemed like the normal batch of soldiers, except one who seemed rather cold in his reception of us. His comrades called the shades-wearing corporal 'Shino.' Methinks we'd have to keep an eye on him. However, something rather strange occurred. We met a sergeant, going by the name of Sasuke, and I swore he was the spitting image of Itachi and me. I hope that Major Hoshigake has room for seconds today after what he's about to do to one of their companies, George Company I believe. Poor suckers...and we led them right to the trap too. How delicious._"

"Those dirty motherfuckers." Temari muttered.

"They were responsible for George Company?! Jesus! What haven't they done?" I pondered almost loud enough for the sentries to hear.

"Shikamaru be quiet! You'll alert everyone! Hey, check this out."

"_Unbelievable! Leading George Company into a massacre was a cinch, but how did we screw up such an easy attack? How did those damnable Air Corps fighters show up so quickly? What made matters worse was that Major Hoshigake and that Panzer Lehr of his was off somewhere else entirely while we nearly had Fox Company by the throat! That accursed Kakashi Hatake…he's just like that son of a bitch Namikaze from back in the day! If it wasn't for some of those damn soldiers with a little too much intelligence in them we would've had them! Worse still, Itachi has become slightly troubled by the failure of the ambush and also that Sasuke we ran into._"

"Namikaze…LT Namikaze…I heard the captain talking about him! The captain served under this LT during the Great War."

"How on Earth does Tobi know of your soldiers Shikamaru?" Temari inquired.

"I have no idea. This is just plain creepy."

The next excerpt looked rushed and sloppy in penmanship. The tone and direction of the writing was all over the place, either addressing the situation, or Sasuke, or how the writer felt.

"_Had I known it was him I would've had my reservations about unleashing the Panzer Lehr on them. I guess that doesn't matter now that Kisame is dead and our plans have failed. They survived both attacks and that damn Captain Hatake just wouldn't be suckered. Stupid, stubborn Leaf commanders! Never did I think I'd see him again. Good Lord how he's grown. This is not good…not good at all. I cannot believe this, of all the Leaf Army units, fate has delivered me to Sasuke of all people. He nearly died in the town and nearly died from the Panzer Lehr. Yes it is my assignment to ensure their demise but my own little brother? It's most fortunate that he has no idea who I am. He cannot know. I'm afraid those two in 2__nd__ Platoon will uncover something that will unravel our plans even further._"

"There's more on the next page."

"_This is it. It seems that with our initial failure everything else has been falling to pieces. Tobi is trying to keep a level head and so far with their commanders still trusting of us, including Sasuke, we're still in the clear. We'll have to try and get as many of them together and take them out, even if that means our deaths. God…how long has it been since I left Konoha Sasuke? You think I'm dead don't you? No matter, that would make the job Tobi and I have to do that much easier. Whether you die or not will no longer be of any concern to me. Tobi tells me there a commanders meeting relatively soon. I figured now would be our time to strike. Even if we die at least we'll disrupt these damned Leaf soldiers. Tobi was right to lead me away from them just as he did the same around the Great War. These sheep lead themselves right into the slaughter for that crotchety old man the Hokage. They know nothing of power and they know nothing of ambition and ability. The Sound and the Akatsuki that I was blessed to enter into gave me all that. For years I served them and grew more than I ever would have had I stayed in Konoha. Should I die tonight, I will have no regrets. A pity you couldn't join me Sasuke. I'll see you on the other side._

_Itachi Uchiha"_

"And that's that…" Shino concluded.

"So he knew all along while Sasuke never knew they were defectors. Now they're dead and with them go their secrets."

"But the question remains," I mused, "do we ever tell Sasuke the truth?"

"Something I was questioning myself Shikamaru, before you ever so bluntly convinced me not to."

"Well upon reading this, I begin to wonder. Of course it would outright devastate his morale and perhaps the morale of others."

"Whoever said 'Truth is beauty, beauty truth,' obviously needed a lesson in realism." Temari eruditely added.

"We're going to have to keep our mouths shut, like Sarutobi said. I'm pretty sure the other leaders are going to do the same knowing full well the consequences that we discussed."

"Agreed. It pains me to hold onto a lie, but if it's necessary for the greater good, then I'll begrudgingly do so." Shino huffed.

"Welcome to the real world academy boy."

"Hmph! To think you're more attuned to the world than I am. Now who's the arrogant one?"

"Feh...whatever. Shit, does anyone know what time it is?" They both shook their heads. "Damn it, the guys are probably looking for us. C'mon let's get going."

"Shikamaru! Temari! Jesus where the hell have you two been?! Do you have any idea what's been going on?" Toyama blurted out as we approached our squad, huddled around each other talking away.

"Yeah...sadly we do know."

"Those bastards...they killed Yamato! I can't believe that!" Choji exclaimed.

"Yeah from right under our noses..." Ino added. "What a fucking day huh?"

"You're not alone Ino. Even Shino's started to feel the strain, and he's usually the strongest willed of us."

"Hey have any of you seen Naruto at all? Choji?"

"Nope. I haven't seen him anywhere since we talked to him that while ago. Given what transpired I figured he's back with 4th squad, though this shit's just gonna add to the grief."

"Hey 3rd! We got a platoon meeting in five minutes! Get your rears in gear!" Sarutobi announced from the campfire where the majority of the platoon was sitting. We hurried over and got a seat near the front where Lee was pacing around back and forth rather nervously. His normal stone face lacked the grit and determination it had from the get-go. I don't blame him considering our recent losses. The platoon was alive with the murmurs and whispers of the day, the fights, and the traitors. We caught Naruto from the corner of our eyes meandering towards the fire with Hinata in tow. He was looking a little better after he must've let what was left in him out. After a quick kiss the two parted ways back to their respective squads. Mitarashi was there eyeballing Naruto but didn't do anything as I figured Lee or Sarutobi talked to her about his need to grieve. Sasuke was there with a fresh cigarette and this time Sakura was not going to complain about it. The look of hate and revulsion was still fresh in his eyes after killing his own brother, albeit unknowingly, in cold blood. It chilled me to the bone that look of his, like a man bereft of humanity, cold and calculating.

"At ease 2nd!" The LT's voice was stern and resolute. I caught a slight façade in his demeanor, a sort of game face if you will. The loss of Yamato had him shaken up something fierce and his uniform was stained with the dried blood of the first sergeant who managed to get back in stable condition. He paced back and forth nervously, the effect spreading through some in our platoon. He stopped and scanned the area with those beady eyes and thick brows of his, letting out a big exhale, he spoke again. "2nd, I know I cannot begin to describe the terrible loss of Sergeant Yamato. He has been our platoon sergeant since this war began and he helped carry us through so much as a platoon and as a family. He was an incredible asset to me and our NCO corps. He was our shield where the platoon was the sword. We will miss him terribly. Today is a day that will go down in the history books and we have suffered tremendous blows today 2nd Platoon, but we survive. Yes, through our will of fire and through our resolute refusal to back down, to surrender, and to admit defeat, we have survived what very few would. Though the battle has cost us many dear friends, George Company, the honorable Captain Umino and our very own platoon sergeant, their deaths were not in vain." He was trying his hardest to get the platoon back in spirit when Yamato had done it so well in the past. Without him, it was like a man trying to push the plow without the help of his ox. "But..." he struggled for a second, "but we have a job here. We cannot accept anything less than total victory over the Sound. They thought they had us on the ropes but they failed. We still have their capital city of Kusagakure to take. Though the Leaf Army's losses have been less than acceptable, there's still a job to be done. The Air Corps will be making a sweep for the next few days before starting a massive bombardment of the city." The platoon was awash with murmurs and sounds of shock. We had never seen the Air Corps conduct an aerial bombardment of a city, or the aftermath of such for that matter. Many times like with Kumo, the city was already banged up from the Sound invasions. I would hate to see what our Liberators and Flying Fortresses would do to such a place. Lee raised his hand to silence the crowd. "Now I know what you're all thinking. It seems rather overkill to send our B-24 Liberators but seeing the treachery and desperation of the Sound first hand leads me to believe that it might be our best course of action. They nearly tried to obliterate us entering just a town so we've decided to strike back hard and pummel them into the ground! After our devastating attack we will strike with artillery followed by an armor push and then King and Dog Companies will lead the way inside. Fox Company will play support role this time. There is a sizeable river along the edge of the city that flows from the Rain Nation so if we cannot get through the bridges then we will have to ford it through other means. Higher command has given the captain four days to recuperate and reorganize. Some of us are wounded, some of us are in serious pain, both mentally and physically," I turned to Naruto who sunk his head down, "but we cannot give up and will not give up! We did not give up when we were cornered by the Akatsuki Panzer Lehr and we will not give up now. The enemy thinks they have demoralized us but in truth they have just given us our reason for vengeance. They have given us the fuel needed to make our fire burn even stronger and brighter than ever before!" His face burst with rage and emotion. "When the time comes and we are called to the frontlines again...we will show them how bright we burn! We will show them how much it will cost them to cross the likes of us! We will make them pay for Yamato and all our comrades they took away from us!"

The platoon roared with motivation as Lee's face became even more intense with his speech. I was still reserved as was Shino and a couple others, including Naruto which was a surprise since I figured he wanted revenge for the death of his mentor. Lee stopped the cheering. "However, our will of fire burns brightly, but that cannot allow us to become savages. We are the deadly blade of Konoha but we are also its benevolent peacekeepers. We must be deadly but merciful at the same time. We cannot allow ourselves to stoop to the levels of the Akatsuki and slaughter all in our sights. They do these things to try and prove that we are just as bad as them, that we will destroy like them, pillage like them, murder in cold blood like them." Sasuke froze. He bowed his head as he must've recalled his execution of the Sound spy. Was this a slight sense of regret crawling into his psyche? A stern glare towards the LT and to the men and woman around him denied such suspicions. "That's right 2nd we need the fire to still burn inside us. If it were to go out, we'd be finished. It has been a rough day and we need our rest, but we still have to remain vigilant. Now you're probably wondering who will be our next platoon sergeant and I have already made my decision. Staff Sergeant Morino!"

"Yes sir?" He asked as he stood up.

"You've been with us since the beginning of this fight and your prowess is exemplary on and off the frontlines. Though I wish it could've come another way, but I have selected you to become the new platoon sergeant. I can imagine it will be hard parting with your squad but now is the time to take on the bigger responsibility for the good of our platoon, which I am sure you are up to the task of doing."

"Sir!" Sergeant Morino nodded firmly as he accepted his new position. We held our chatter for later.

"Corporal Igawa will be the new squad leader for 1st squad. Guard shifts will run by platoon and we have it first, followed by 3rd Platoon and so on. Keep watch on anything suspicious! Sergeant Morino I'll give you some time to take care of your business with the squad but afterwards I need to you accompany me to where the captain and first sergeant are. Our shift begins at nine sharp and will carry on for two hours. Squad leaders I want a layout of your soldiers and their positions fifteen minutes prior to the shift starting. Does anyone have any questions for me?" He looked around but no one raised their hands. "In case you're wondering, the captain and first sergeant are ok and their wounds have been treated. I'll reiterate it'll be some time before we're all fit and ready to go hence the four-day respite. Get your kits ready and be ready to go on duty in one hour. Dismissed."

"C'mon Temari, let's go set our shit up before we get pulled into the perimeter."

"Right."

Power-walking ahead of the rest of the squad, Temari and I quickly rolled out our beds underneath one of the tall trees that had provided us some adequate shelter during the tank battle. Much to my lack of caring about self-consciousness, I laid mine out right next to Temari's. Since her involvement in our platoon she was given a completely new set of bedding. It wasn't a luxury item but it was better than her ratty sheets and worn bedrolls that she and the other Sand fighters had. Hell some of them didn't have anything at all and it was probably a Godsend our forces or the Water Army had given them some of their provisions. The faint glow of the fire shone on her soft, light skin. Had this been another scenario I would've asked her to sit down and watch the stars and the clouds together.

"God you look beautiful Temari…" I whispered softly, part of me hoping she didn't hear me and part of me hoping she did.

"What'd you say?"

"Um, nothing…just muttering something to myself."

She sighed. "C'mon. I see them waving to us to get in the perimeter."

"Ya know Temari, you're technically not in the Leaf Army so you can probably get outta this troublesome task if you want."

"Oh please," she rolled her eyes and gave me a half-smile, "you think I'd pass up working with you and potentially annoying you even more?"

"I forgot you like that."

"Amongst other things…"

"Tch." I sneered. "Sergeant, what's the layout like? What do you have for us?"

"Good news for you Nara. You and Temari are breaking off for your guard duties."

"Nice." I smiled.

"Damn." She muttered disappointingly.

"Sorry little lady, I figured a change of pace would be good. Nara you're with Akimichi. Temari, you're going to patrol with Ino and Sugiyama."

"Three women…together…patrolling? Is that really a good idea sergeant? Figured they might do more gabbing than watching aren't I right?" A sharp pain hit the back of my head as Temari struck me with an open palm. "OW!" Sarutobi just chuckled.

"Smartass crybaby…"

"Troublesome broad…"

"Ok that's enough children. We've got about ten minutes until it's show time so could you at least act like you're ready to go?" He pleaded to the two of us. We nodded back. "Good. Now all we do is wait for the rest to show up, and speak of the devil here's Sugiyama and Yamanaka right now!"

"Sergeant! Yamanaka and I are ready to go. Anyone else that'll be joining us?" She asked rather enthusiastically. Sugiyama had already come off as one of the more lively members of the squad which impressed Sarutobi and gave a breath of fresh air to our merry bunch.

"Ah private! Good to see you're in decent spirits. As a matter of fact I'm having Temari here join your duo to make it a trio."

"Ooooooh! Very nice sergeant!" She praised as Temari sauntered over and the three of them started laughing and gabbing away. I looked at Sarutobi who bore an uneasy grimace.

"Shit…you might be right on this one Nara. Reminds me of my woman sometimes..." He muttered quietly to me as I agreed with him silently.

"Well you made it that way sergeant. I say stick to your guns." He sighed and nodded in unenthusiastic agreement. That was at least one bond Sarutobi and I shared, we found women to be strange creatures. We both realized they'd probably be practicing their gift of gab about all sorts of troublesome shit, like me and Temari or Toyama's attraction to Sugiyama or some other trivial crap that I wouldn't give two shits about.

"Choji! Just in time to come through in the clutch!" I announced his arrival.

"Huh?"

"I was waiting for another guy to get here outside of the sergeant. All this estrogen was making me tense." I coulda sworn I saw the three of them glaring at me but my mind was convincing me they weren't as I spoke my mind to my dear friend Choji. Of course I wasn't afraid of Ino or the newbie Sugiyama, but Temari on the other hand...

"Hey you didn't have to deal with two of them for a protracted period of time Shikamaru, so don't complain too much."

"Nara's up to his usual bitching huh?" Toyama rudely suggested.

"And you're up to your usual douchebaggery huh Toyama?"

"Wouldn't be Kazuo Toyama if I wasn't doing such things right guys?" He smugly replied.

"Why don't ya go tell that to Sugiyama eh Kaz? She's right over there." I pointed to her as her back was turned while talking to Ino and Temari. I could catch a slight blush on his face with the light from the fires. Busted...

"Yeah...well...don't be an asshole Shikamaru."

"You started it big guy."

"Ok kids, it looks like we're all here," Sarutobi spoke over our chatter as the rest of our squad showed up, "let's get to it. It's Nara and Akimichi, Temari, Yamanaka, and Sugiyama, Toyama and Nazuka, Nakamura, Asano, and I. Those are the four groups that'll be patrolling from the six o'clock to the nine o'clock. Synch your watches and watch all the sides. Soundie fucks like to attack from everywhere so we'll watch everywhere. Any gripes, complaints, bitches, etc.?" We said nothing. "Good. 3rd squad doesn't bitch and moan...except for maybe Nara."

"Sergeant!" I replied which got some laughs out of the squad.

"Oh relax Nara. I'm just yanking your chain. Anyway 3rd, let's go. It's time."

Getting the wave goodbye from 1st Platoon as they set out to get some sleep, the lot of 2nd Platoon was quickly establishing their positions and patrol routes. We were pretty sure after a failed aerial attack, Panzer group offensive, and attempted infiltration and assassination, the Soundies were going to try and lick their wounds just like we were doing. Nevertheless, it was still the time to be on guard since they were quite the unpredictable bunch by what we've seen in the past twenty-four hours...not even. Choji was walking casually with me, his .30 cal slung over his shoulder as we walked over to the dug-in position where one of 1st Platoon's MG teams had been. That was the beauty behind taking the second shift...you rarely if ever had to set shit up yourself. Someone already took care of that for you! Now that's what I call convenient!

"Kinda nice having our spot already dug up and ready eh buddy?"

"Lazy 'til the bitter end Shikamaru..."

"Work is always troublesome Choji. You should know that."

"Great words oh wise sage."

"Cute. Anyway, let's make the rounds shall we?"

As the rest of Fox Company was dozing off or making preparations for the next few days, Choji and I walked back and forth a small curve we had set out as our route. To our left were Nakamura, Asano, and Sarutobi and to our right were Toyama and Nazuka. To my personal comfort the women were on the far right and away from being any bit of a nuisance.

"Ah this is so much better without those troublesome wenches wouldn't ya say Choji?"

"Well I'll admit it feels slightly more relaxed to be a guy, but they're not so bad are they Shikamaru?." I had to give it to Choji. I was outright in my admittance of finding women absolutely irritating. Choji on the other hand was a bit more of a softy so he'd try and play it off like they weren't completely irksome. It was chivalrous and naive at the same time, my guess for the sake of Ino.

We parked ourselves in the MG position as I scanned the horizon the best I could. Occasionally an Air Corps fighter would pass overhead which made my job near meaningless. Nevertheless, I felt the keen, watchful eye of Sarutobi somewhere so I kept looking around for the slightest hint of movement.

"Hey Shikamaru…"

"Yeah?"

"So tell me. Whaddaya think about that whole Naruto bit? Did you have any idea that those things really happened to him."

"Well I knew he was an orphan but Jesus God…that was just tear-jerking."

"Poor guy."

"Yeah. Hey man, did he ever tell you what his plans were after the war?"

"No…he didn't utter a word to me."

"Well…" I hesitated for a moment before giving him the scoop on what Naruto told me in confidence at the field hospital in Konoha. Naruto wanted me to keep it a secret but I opened my mouth a little too soon. Now Choji was going to get all curious.

"Well what Shikamaru? You said 'Well…' and I expected something to come out."

"Nah forget it. It's too troublesome."

"C'mon man, you can't say something like that and expect me to ignore it afterwards. I won't tell anyone. Remember, you and Naruto are my best friends. You have my word." He smiled as he raised his right hand like he was doing an oath of honor.

"Ok fine. Naruto showed me this ring he pilfered from Takigakure in a pile of rubble. It's actually a real beauty this ring is, straight silver with a nice cut diamond right inside and he, well he…"

"Are you telling me what I think you are? He's gonna ask isn't he?"

"Very little gets by you Choji. Yepper, he's gonna ask Hinata to marry him."

"You mean immediately afterwards?" He was rather surprised. He and I heard Naruto talking about marrying Hinata but only I knew how early he wanted to do it. Hell Choji could've just thought Naruto was being passionate and not serious when talking about the late Captain Umino. I nodded my head. "Wow, man…that's kinda heavy. Ya think he's a little too young for that?"

"Yeah, I think twenty-three is a little premature for such a mature commitment. Besides, look at the kid. I mean he's our pal and all but he can barely tie his boots right sometimes. How's he gonna make that last I wonder, especially given the fact he probably has little to no money."

"Makes me also wonder how the family's gonna react."

I sighed. "Yeah, if Mr. Hyuga's as big a dick as what I've been told by Naruto and Hinata, then they're in for a world of hurt when Naruto drops the bombshell. There's a big pain in the ass. Naruto must be totally oblivious to these factors. Methinks maybe he's putting all his eggs in one basket."

"That sounds kinda harsh Shikamaru."

"Well I'm just saying Naruto doesn't really seem to see the situation. First, we're still in a war and I frankly have no idea when it'll possibly end. Could end tomorrow, could end in a year, but it makes me worried to see such early commitment when surety is lacking."

"What're you implying?"

"Well look at LT Uzuki. She was showing off her engagement ring to me, Temari, and Kiba before you guys showed up. She was talking about her love for that Hayate Gekko guy and then look what happens. He dies and she's a wreck. I mean I pray and knock on wood," I found the closest log and wrapped it three times which was surprising because I usually found superstition to be childish, "that such tragedy does not befall our dear friends Naruto and Hinata."

"That's a little fatalistic don't you think? I mean, give the guy some vote of confidence."

"Oh I do. I really do, but I'm just…worried."

Choji nodded in agreement. "I'm with ya buddy. Hell I think we all are. I get worried about Ino constantly even if my own body gets shot up from time to time. Hell you should take a look in the mirror. I've seen that look in your eyes when Temari's in danger. Naruto really cares for Hinata and he went on about how he never had the love that she gives him as a child, so I can totally understand his intent with popping the question."

"Still…"

"Well he should be so lucky he's got a bit of a plan for the future. Knowing him he'll find a way to make it work. It might not be the prettiest or the quickest method, but tried and true he'll make it happen with her. We could actually learn something from him."

"Says the guy who still can't stop striking out with Ino."

"Right through the heart Shikamaru…that went right through. Hey speaking about women, what do you think you're gonna be doing with Temari?"

"Say what?"

"Well you seem to like giving Naruto shit for putting his eggs in one basket as you'd put it, what about you and Temari?"

"I dunno. Never thought about it…too troublesome."

"Strange reaction coming from you." He rolled his eyes at me. "Seriously buddy…I can't think about things like that because I'm not quite there, but you, you need to seriously think about what the future might hold for you and that Sand woman."

"I really, really don't want to right now."

"I mean you two are like birds of a feather and it's only been less than a year. Hell you two are already knockin' boots…"

"Choji…"

"You know there's something also more troublesome that you might need to take into account."

"Oh and what's that?"

"She's a foreigner. The Sand Nation's already looked at with suspicion from many in Konoha so a relationship with one of them is already fodder for critics. Also, unlike Naruto and Hinata, she can't stay with you."

"Shit…you're right. She couldn't stay unless…unless…"

"That's right."

"No. I can't do that. Besides, I'm too young and too much is going on right now. She'd probably wanna go back home and rebuild when the war's over anyway. She is their late leader's daughter and they'd probably need someone like her to take the reins."

"Yeah," I let out a forced chuckle, "yeah of course they'd need her. It'd be silly for her not to go back home. Maybe later in the future something might happen."

"Maybe Shikamaru, but it would help to have some sort of a plan."

"Once again coming from the person whose sole sights are on Ino."

"Well I just have that confident feeling that she'll warm up to me."

"I'll admit she has been a lot nicer to you nowadays and quite concerned with your well-being."

"Ya think it's more than the whole friends bit?"

"Hell it might be. Always a possibility…" I knew it'd get Choji's hopes up by saying something like that even if I knew it wasn't completely fibbing. Ino had become slightly warmer towards my large colleague since the Waterfall Nation campaign. Maybe his repeated attempts finally found a chink in her armor. I certainly hoped so since she seemed to be less bitchy with him acting as the buffer. With him around Ino's also less likely to be a genuine bitch to me so once again, that's a good thing.

It was funny how time flew with Choji and I just scanning the area, priming our weapons, and shooting the shit on whatever crossed our minds. It started out serious but of course we reminisced about the good old times back in school and pulling pranks on Ino, Choji and Naruto trying to sneak into the girls locker room once and getting quite the thrashing from Sakura, Tenten, and Ino from it, the Ichiraku Ramen Bar lunches, and of course our drinking and eating contests with Naruto and Kiba. Yep those were the good old days, but I always wondered if Sarutobi or the captain thought the good old days were when they were kids. Choji was still asking for advice on how to approach Ino and I gave him my usual cynical outlook on her but still told him to go for it being my best friend and all. I could never shatter his spirits because he's always been so loyal to me. We've always worked well as a team. He's the brawn and I'm the brains, the arm and the mind, the strength and the strategy. I never told him, though I should one day, that I was glad that he was my best friend out of everyone I knew.

"Hey Shikamaru, what time is it anyway?"

I tried to read my watch as best as I could, pulling out my flashlight and getting low as to not attract anyone. "It's almost eleven, got about ten minutes left. Good…our shift's almost over!"

"Nice. I could use some beauty sleep."

"Of course Choji. We need you looking prim and pretty for the pageant tomorrow night."

"Hey whaddaya think is my best side huh?" He turned his head from side to side while flexing his muscles mockingly.

"Neither."

"Says Mr. Casanova."

"Ho ho…swing and a miss Choji." I joked. He hit me in the shoulder with enough strength to make me almost fall over. He thought it was just a tap.

"Did I miss there Shikamaru?" He laughed.

"Hey Nara, Akimichi, I hate to break up the fraternity cuddle but your replacements are coming so get ready to bed down for the night." Sarutobi said as he approached us.

"Roger that sergeant. Our shit is already set up."

"Not surprising Nara seeing how you and Temari trampled over the rest to get your kits ready. Planning something special tonight?" He and Choji both snickered like little school kids.

"Meh…"

"The typical Nara response, always a classic. Anyway, I'm going to go get the rest of the squad so stay here until your replacements show up and then get right back to the squad area understood?"

"Yes sergeant." Choji replied. Soon enough, about five minutes later, three soldiers, a guy and two women showed up to replace us.

"Have fun you three. We kept it nice and warm for ya." I said to them with a wave as I got up with Choji and walked off.

"Yep, fun times to be had there corporal." The woman gave me the sarcastic tone which I could respect.

Temari and I had set our things up slightly distant from the rest of the squad where Sarutobi was right in the middle. Choji placed himself near Nazuka and Asano while Ino was next to Sugiyama who tried to place herself tactically close to Toyama. Whether he'd pick up on that or not I was too tired to ponder. I quickly took my boots off and let my feet get some well-deserved air and rest. Taking my uniform blouse off also felt rather liberating as the cool night air flowed down my shirt. "Ah, finally some well-deserved rest!" I nuzzled myself underneath my blanket and let the warmth gradually take me in.

"Comfy enough there big guy?" The familiar voice of "Number One Troublesome Woman" rang as I quickly opened my eyes to see her getting ready for bed.

"Meh…need sleep, not talk."

"Oh ok fine. Wasn't gonna bore you anyway with the girl talk we had during patrol."

"Like I'd even wanna know."

"Oh cynical Shikamaru…what are we gonna do with you?"

"Let me enjoy the warmth of my blankets and eventual sleep?"

"Perhaps it'd be better to share the wealth right?" She suggested as she opened up her blanket and laid it out on the both of us. She slid her bedroll right next to mine and laid herself down as she took her own uniform blouse off. Her back was turned to me and I felt the delicate touch of her skin with only that tank-top on. My mental reserves were doing their best to resist the temptation to remark about the mental comfort I felt with her right next to me. "That feels really warm. Ahh…sometimes I wish moments like this with the calm wind, the quiet night, and the two of us holding each other could last longer."

"Agreed." Fuck. It was all I could say. I couldn't come up with anything better. I tried rolling with it though, "It does feel rather nice even if it is slightly troublesome if you catch my drift."

"Lazy crybaby attitude…" She gently poked me with her elbow as she yawned. "Good night Shikamaru."

"Good night Temari."

A few minutes had passed as I let the sound of footsteps, the rustling of 3rd squad trying to get comfortable, and the gentle breeze of the wind on the tree limbs encompass my senses, all except for feeling of course. What I felt was a lot more heavier in description. Right in front of me was the beautiful foreign fighter that Choji and I had just talked about. In front of me was a woman who had brought out feelings that I didn't think I was capable of feeling. Her soft skin was intoxicating to the touch as my arm rested itself gently on her arm and shoulder, my left hand stroking her neck. She would move around a little bit but it wasn't that she was waking up, but instead the natural response to my touches. I bet she had a slight smile on her face as she dreamed about something. My right hand stroked through her soft, blonde hair, her four hair ties undone letting her hair flow gently to the ground. The warmth our bodies produced next to each other gave my heartbeat a little jolt even if it was meant to soothe me.

"_Look at her, calm as a cucumber. She really is something else she is. A pity Konoha doesn't produce many women like this._" I sighed gently. "_Damn it Choji, why do you have to bring that up? Why does she have to be a foreigner? As if life wasn't difficult enough…what are we gonna do when this war is over? Could I go with her to Suna? Maybe the Leaf Army will send a unit there and I could see her during the reconstruction. Nah, they'd never let me do that and besides, I don't see myself ever getting assigned there if the Leaf Army even sets foot in there. Maybe she could stay with me in Konoha? Fuck, Konoha's laws don't allow non-citizens to live here for too long without trying to become a citizen, and that could take years! Shit, why am I even thinking about the future right now! We still need to live through this war and with Kusagakure coming up the shit's gonna hit the fan again. Temari, don't you worry, we'll find a way to get through this. If that numbskull Naruto manages to get through his hardships then it's possible for us as well. I don't care if you're a foreigner or if anyone I know looks down upon our relationship. Things happen for reasons and I'll be damned if life wants to sucker-punch me without me looking. We gotta be strong Temari…we gotta be strong. Ain't no battle going to rob me of you or you of me. There ain't no law or circumstance that's gonna deprive us of our right to love each other and be together. I'll figure out what to do someday. I'm not Shikamaru Nara the Konoha strategist for nothing. You're too God damn beautiful and special to just let the powers that be go and separate us. Ok, that's enough inner monologue Shikamaru. You obviously need some sleep seeing how you're thinking way too much which is unlike you. Damn it! I'm doing it again! Ok that's it, I'm stopping this right now._"

I gently moved my head to her exposed ear as I watched her body rise and fall with each breath she took. She didn't notice my movement at all which was good. I whispered softly into her ear, "Temari, I know you're asleep but hear me on this. No matter what happens we'll get through it together. Remember that. Good night Temari, I love you." I brought my head down on the bedroll, staring at her delicate blonde hair again. I felt something move across my lower legs. Her foot broke through between my legs and she wrapped her left leg over my right one. I then felt her hand glide itself slowly down my left leg, her soft touch bringing a couple shivers down my spine. I carefully checked to see if she was asleep and wouldn't you know it? She still was. It was as if her subconscious heard me and replied in a similar, affectionate manner. My mind's cloudiness had cleared just a little bit, but it was enough to make me stop feeling so worrisome, even for a little bit. I took my hand and rested it on her hip before reaching into her shirt and gliding my fingers on her belly. It would be four days until we went into the fire again but we'd be ready to weather the storm. I intended to prove the fates wrong and live through this fight as well, not only for myself and my friends, but for her as well. I had finally come to that realization. If I truly wanted things to work, all my efforts and my struggles would be for her. For Temari…


	29. Chapter 29

The air was cool and the sky was dark with the storm clouds overhead and all around me. In the distance flashes of light could be seen accompanied by low rumbles that shook the sky and the earth itself. Was it artillery? Was is an aerial bombardment? Or was it just ominous thunder and lighting? I found myself alone in a field, in actuality the same field where Able and Easy Company just found the Akatsuki Panzer Lehr. However, there were no tanks to be seen, no ruined hulks, no bodies, nothing. In fact, there was no one around at all. No Naruto, no Choji, no Temari, not a soul. I stood there, in my uniform, my Springfield slung on my right arm, just watching the dark clouds roll by. In the back of my head, I wondered where everyone was but then I'd just instinctively tune it out, as if the environment itself was entrancing me. I felt the wind carry itself through my hair and through every open spot my clothing revealed. Suddenly the rumbling and flashing emerged all around. Despite the ominous feeling of it all I still felt rather calm and controlled, as I always was in most situations.

"Hello?" I asked aloud as I turned to the wood line behind me. Still I saw no commotion. "Anyone there? Anybody there at all?" Still nothing. A strong gust blew at my back, taking me nearly by surprise. I turned around and about a hundred or two feet in front of me stood Temari in her beige uniform and her Karabiner slung.

"Temari! Oh good someone's here."

She turned and waved. "C'mon Shikamaru, it's almost time."

"Time? Time for what?"

"Let's go." The rumbling got louder and closer to the two of us. She scampered up the hill at breakneck speed.

"Temari wait! Let me catch up for Chrissake!" Huffing and puffing I reached the top. "Seriously that wasn't…funny…Temari?" I looked around and she was gone. The sky had gotten slightly darker. "Temari where are you? Temari? TEMARI! TEMARIIIII!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as the thunder shook the sky and ground furiously, almost making me lose my footing.

"_Ha ha ha ha ha…oh foolish boy. Guess who's back?_"

"You…it's you again." It was that voice, the same one that haunted me in the Waterfall Nation.

"_That's right. I'm back. You thought you were rid of me weren't you?_"

"All right…I've had just about enough of this! Who are you? You try and haunt me with your voice and lurk in the shadows." Of course as a sniper I've lurked in the shadows many a time. It is my specialty. "I'm not gonna be afraid of some voice. Come out and face me like a man!"

"_Very well…_"

I scanned the area but saw nothing. "Well? Where are you?"

"_Here…_" The voice was so close I could feel the icy breath bearing down my neck. Slowly and nervously I turned.

"Oh God!" I fell flat on my ass and clutched my rifle, pointing it right at him, or it should I say, it. It was black, pitch black, with crooked, jagged teeth polished like fine ivory. The form was humanoid but its skin flowed like the thickest of oils. However, when I saw it touch the blades of grass, they became soaked with blood. Despite my original boast of not being afraid, this downright scared the piss out of me. The thing just cackled as I still had my rifle aimed at him, standing up slowly with my eyes fixed on it.

"_Pathetic! So much for not being afraid eh boy? Rifle won't do you much good without any ammunition right?_"

"Huh? What're you talking about?" I opened the bolt and found nary a round inside. "_Oh fuck!_" I lifted my head, shaking in abject terror as it got closer.

"_Heh heh heh heh…ha ha ha ha…HA HA HA HA HA!_" Its laughter picked up in frightening volume.

"_What is this thing? How am I going to confront it? I have no ammunition…as much as I hate it, it looks like I'm going close quarters._"

As it came closer I did my best to try and land a good blow with my rifle, but to my shock it simply grabbed the butt stock with ease and laughed again. "_You little worm!_" With a swipe from its limb I was sent flying across the hill, crashing into the grass.

"_Jesus God! What am I up against?!_" I looked down at my hand which had spatters of blood coming from my lips. I reached for my pistol and furiously squeezed the trigger, hearing nothing but an empty click to my dismay. "FUCK!" I ran at him ready to club him with my rifle again but to no avail. The creature just smiled evilly as he dodged my swing and hoisted me up by the collar. A raise of its fist and instantly my head felt like a sack of bricks, my vision slightly blurred from the blow. Another blow followed the first, and then it kept coming. He let me go and swung his leg around, knocking me flat on my side.

I felt paralyzed as I struggled to regain my footing and sight. I got myself in a half-assed defensive posture, still woozy from the blows as crimson trickled down my brow. "WHAT ARE YOU?!" I screamed to it as it casually strolled over. A second later it was gone. "_What the hell…?_" I looked around again.

"AUGHHH!" My shoulders rang in pain as blood splattered in front of me, sharp blasts of agony ringing through my arms and chest. My lips trembled as I saw two black hooks implanted in me, the form mutating into talon-like objects, digging deep into my skin. The pain was unbearable. "Oh God…it hurts! Stop it! Oh God!" The claws slammed me down to the ground and started dragging me on my back. Streaks of blood went down my back and stained the grass that I was being run through. Everything was getting blurry but the hot pain still remained. I tried to grab onto whatever I could but all I got were torn blades of grass and the blood on my hands made anything impossible to grip. "STOP IT! STOP IT! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU?" Then, I stopped. I turned to see my shoulders and the hooks and claws were gone. However, the wounds remained still seeping blood. I closed my eyes as the sky above me flashed wildly, the accompanying thunder almost deafening. Soon enough I felt the trickles of rain drops hitting my face and chest, small stings coursing through me whenever they hit my shoulders. I opened my eyes again to see the black sky and the raindrops that poured down. Everything went black for a few second and I opened them again, my heart jumping as the terrifying demon was now staring me straight in the face. "What do you want with me?!"

The black creature grinned again with those dagger teeth as its face started swirling. I shook in horror as it transformed its visage.

"S-s-sergeant?"

"Don't let us down Nara! I didn't promote you to corporal for no good reason now did I?" The monster's face had changed into Sarutobi's. The eyes were hollow though and cigarette smoke bellowed out every time its mouth took a drag. The smoke was choking me as it hit my tearing eyes. "You're not gonna let me down now are ya?" It grinned with those horrifying features as it swirled again.

"Hey Shikamaru it's me Choji!" Now Choji, with blood dripping from his mouth and wounds all over his body, was looking at me. "It's no use. I tried but I couldn't make it. Sorry to have let ya down."

"No! No what're you talking about?"

"Tried doin' what ya said, protecting Ino and what not. Never saw it comin'." He pointed to a gaping stomach wound that nearly made me vomit.

"Oh God…Choji…"

"Sorry pal…looks like I failed." His face and features started to swirl again. This time the face became more feminine, the familiar purplish hair and grayish eyes carrying a look of sheer grief.

"Shikamaru! He's…he's g-g-g-gone! N-N-Naru-N-Naruto!" The face of Hinata started tearing water and blood mixed together. "We t-t-t-tried to s-s-save him but it was too la-late!

"Hinata…what are you talking…GNNNHHHAAHHH!" Her hands sharpened themselves like blades as they dug into my shoulder wounds. "Hinata…wait a minute…what are you doing?! Where's Naruto?"

"HE'S GONE! NARUTO!"

"STOP IT! Stop it whatever the hell you are! Make it stop!" My teeth clenched as my thrashing only made the pain worse.

"Shikamaru…" When I opened my eyes, I saw Temari looking at me.

"Temari…"

"Please, don't leave me. Don't make me alone in this world." Her face started forming cuts and cracks, seeping blood out all over me.

"What is this?! Stop this insanity! Who the hell are you and what do you want with me?!" The charades stopped and the original, terrifying form manifested itself again.

"_You still haven't figured it out have you boy? You don't know who I am. I've been with you since this whole thing began…do you want to know who I am?_"

"Tell me you cocksucker!"

"_Well since you put it that way…_" The demon's arm turned into a tentacle and wrapped itself around my neck, squeezing just hard enough to make me suffer. "_You should know who I am._"

"Tell me! Who are you?!"

"_Simple,_" it put its other hand right up to its face, "_I'm,_" his hand moved to reveal its identity. I nearly had a stroke. "_I'm you._"

"ME?!"

It smiled again with a bony and haggard jaw and jagged teeth. It was like the demonic version of myself, the face disfigured, crooked, and possessed. Tiny orifices opened on its face where mouths with sharp teeth appeared, lashing their tongues out at me, every touch burning my skin like acid. Around me carried the screams of the dying and the sounds of bullets and bombs. "_Yes…you. I'm your worst thoughts made manifest. I'm your lost innocence. I'm everything that comes out when that rifle's in your hands and you watch your handiwork seeing men and women fall to your bullets. I'm your hatred, your anger, your spite…but above all, I'm something much bigger. I'm your fear, and you will never escape me boy!_" That's what it was. It was my fear made manifest. Lifting me in the air it laughed as I felt sharp stabbing pains in my legs. "_HA HA HA HA! Oh how I relish in watching you suffer! I told you about the girl's brother. I told you about those that died and guess what?_"

I said nothing as I gasped for breath.

"_There's always more to come. The reaper follows you closely. Your friends, your family, everyone you hold dear…gone, dead, bereft of life before your very eyes! Does that make you afraid boy?_" The hill shook violently as gravestones popped up and lighting scorched the earth where it hit. "_Look around you._"

I turned my head from side to side as the grip around my neck lightened slightly. My eyes went huge as the gravestones were marked with everyone I knew. Kiba, Choji, Ino, Sasuke, Sakura, Sarutobi, Shino, Hinata, Naruto, Kankuro, and…Temari, all were there around me..

"No!" I yelled. "No this isn't happening!"

"_Is that fear I smell boy? It is…mmmm…very intoxicating! Your friends will die, one by one._"

"No! They will not die! Let me go you piece of shit! You won't control me! I won't let you!"

"_I already am…_" The grip tightened as it started snickering. The rain became a downpour which blurred the monster, but I could clearly see its arm forming into a small scythe. "_I am your fear and I will be the end of all you cherish, including that woman and yourself._"

"_Shikamaru…wake up…_"

"No! Please!"

"_Please…please get up…_"

"_The end comes boy._" The creature swung his arm scythe, ready to lop my head off.

"NO!" And then…darkness.

"GET AWAY!" I screamed as I rose up panting. I was drenched in sweat, my hands shaking wildly. I could feel my head throbbing as the blood coursed through my veins.

"Shikamaru! Shikamaru are you ok?" The familiar, comforting voice asked me. I turned to see Temari who looked at me with fear and concern. "It was a nightmare wasn't it? Shikamaru…" She wrapped her arms around me and stroked my hair. "There, there…it's ok."

"Temari. Oh my God…I thought that…but it looked like…oh God."

"What happened?"

"It was that thing again. It keeps haunting me."

"What thing? You mean…"

"The voice, the same one that taunted me when Gaara died. I saw it this time. It was hideous, pitch black with skin of oil and blood, teeth like knives. It was horrible. It kept changing faces into Sarutobi, then Choji, then Hinata, then…you. It said everyone was gonna die including you and me. It told me who it was. It was…"

She gulped a little bit. "It was…?"

"It was me. It was my hatred and fear. It was every negative thing that I've felt and done." How far have I fallen? Look at me, all shook up over a troublesome dream while relying on some bossy woman to comfort me. My, how things change over time. "Temari..."

"Shhhhhh, it's all right Shikamaru. Best we not wake the others."

"What time is it?"

She used the glowing remnants of the campfire as her light source. "It's around two in the morning. We've been asleep since eleven. Damn those nightmares of yours."

"You don't know the half of it." I was still feeling my heart palpitating from that demonic dream. It felt all too real, the blood, the misery, my friends in agony, the pain, that sight. I couldn't get it out of my head. It was me all along. My fear and my hatred had been the demon terrorizing me. "It felt too real Temari, I mean it was right here and the sky was black and there was furious thunder and lightning."

"I think I know how those got in there." She pointed off to the horizon where quick, second-long flashes followed by low rumbles emerged in the sky. "They've started already."

"The bombing…" I could hear the distance droning of the B-24 Liberator propellers, hovering overhead Kusagakure and unloading all sorts of hellfire on the Sound. I had never actually witnessed an aerial bombardment on a city. Sure I've seen the devastation left by the Sound during their initial invasions, but never by our own hands.

"Nara! Jesus Christ Nara do you have any idea what time it is?" Sarutobi's gruff voice barked at me from across the campfire. "Stifle your whining and get some sleep!"

"Sorry sergeant." Damn it all. And to think, two years ago I'd be lying like this without a care in the world, most likely sleeping or playing shogi with my father who'd beat me on a regular basis. Well at least the gentle touch of Temari gave me some relief.

This was the second night that we were out here. Given our proximity to Kusagakure, Major Shizune had us stay here while the other companies would attack from the south and east. Each passing day made our hearts beat a little bit quicker as we prepped ourselves with the new supplies and ammunition we got. Able and Easy Companies consolidated their tanks into a larger armor force. Sure it was unorthodox but at least there was a formidable amount of them under Captain Kyoda's command. LT Uzuki and her Rangers melded themselves with Fox Company, bringing with us some extra firepower and tactical expertise. As for the lieutenant herself, though she was over her considerable grief, she carried in herself and spread into her unit a feeling of vengeance and even greater hatred towards the Akatsuki and the Sound. None of us approached her mostly due to courtesy but also the dark feeling we got from her look. When I looked around everyone else was asleep including Sarutobi who must've passed right back out after yelling at me.

"Shikamaru," Temari nuzzled her face closer to mine, "c'mon quit being a baby and get some rest."

"Meh…I hate to say it but when you're right you're right."

"Much better." She pecked me on the forehead. "Don't worry crybaby, I'm here."

"Thanks ma." I replied sarcastically. To be honest it didn't feel too bad sleeping next to Temari, even if others would see it. Yeah it was a moment of vulnerability behind my cynical and smugly intelligent shell, but damn it every armor has a chink in it somewhere. I still shook from the terrible nightmare, but a few minutes later of trying to nod off I caught Temari back asleep. She looked so peaceful with her tender lips closed and her face calm and relaxed. "Thanks Temari." I whispered so soft I had a hard time hearing it as I laid my head down right next to hers, her beauty the last thing I saw before I went back to sleep.

_Two days later_:

"Holy shit! Asano you see that?" Nazuka yelled amidst the hustle and bustle of the troop movement. The assault had already begun and we were moving to come in as a support element. "Up there!"

"Holy hell…" He muttered.

"Take a good look if you can 3rd squad. Those right there are the Liberators. I take it that it's your first look at one of 'em." Sarutobi said as the squad gathered around him. Though they were hard to recognize, their formations and shape definitely did not allow them to be confused with anything else. How fitting of a name eh? Made me actually feel a twinge of remorse towards the Sound. The distant rumbling gave the sign that the Air Corps was not giving them any quarter, of course seeing the tracers in the night sky prior to today showed the Sound were willing to fight back.

"Let's go 2nd Platoon! Mount up! Can't take all fuckin' day ya know!" Already Sergeant Morino was acting the part that Yamato had tragically left and it was a good thing too. We needed someone with a fierce bark to keep the spirit of the platoon going. Lee made the right call. Besides, better that he didn't choose Sarutobi otherwise I might've become the squad leader and that would be all too troublesome.

"You heard the platoon sergeant 3rd! Get your rears in gear! We've got ourselves a land to liberate!"

"Please sergeant...you too with the fancy talk?" I asked.

"Nara...God damn it. Get on the truck!"

"Yeah Shikamaru, quit your complainin'!" The elegant hand of Temari was outstretched to hoist me up. "Aren't ya glad you have me around to keep you in line when the sergeant can't?"

"Yeah keep tellin' yourself that Temari."

"So how long have the flyboys been bombin' 'em sergeant?" Toyama inquired.

"Since two days ago. By the sounds of it they've probably leveled half the place but I don't put too much faith in the Air Corps getting everything. We infantry types have always gotta clean up the rest!" We all got in the halftrack while 4th squad was soon to follow. I noticed Naruto waving Hinata goodbye and as he turned he had "For Iruka, For My Father" written on the back of his uniform. I was about to say something concerning it, but I bit my tongue. Of course he didn't know about his biological father and neither did I, but if he truly felt the late Iruka Umino was like a father to him, then so be it.

"I see it too Shikamaru." Choji said as I sat down next to him. "If it's what he believes in, then let him keep his word to Captain Umino."

"Yeah...after all, he's our Naruto."

"He's also Hinata's Naruto."

"True, true..."

"Sir!" Sergeant Mitarashi yelled from the back of her truck. "4th squad is locked and loaded!"

"Roger that sergeant! All right 2nd, let's move out!" With a twirl of his fingers, our trucks were on their way to catch up with 1st Platoon. Off we went to the battle again. According to Sarutobi, Kusagakure wasn't very far from here, about an hour or so worth of driving.

The tanks had pulled into formation way ahead of us to help clear the way. Judging by the lack of radio traffic there wasn't much resistance. Had the Sound really put all their eggs in one basket with that air and armor attack? Did they really have nothing else after we had foiled them? My dream was fucking with me on a regular basis making me second guess my abilities and the abilities of this company to get through the day. My mind thought of all the possibilities of what the Sound could pull but as each day progressed the list got smaller and smaller as the Leaf Army, in its typical fashion, dismembered whatever the Sound had into making it a much smaller animal than it could've been through sheer numbers. It didn't matter now knowing that we'd soon come in and clean the whole place out. Radio chatter seemed to indicate some Sound artillery still alive since it was slamming rounds right near Dog Company to keep them at bay. Another formation of bombers flew ahead, most likely the last iteration before the Lightning fighter-bombers would come in to support us.

"Look! There it is!" I heard the driver shout out. Right in front of us was the already smoking city of Kusagakure. Well the Air Corps certainly did their job obliterating half the place. But honestly, was it that necessary?

"Attention all units, this is Captain Hatake. We are in sight of the objective. Continue speed and prepare to dismount at the embankment. Any and all crew-served weapon trucks will cover the dismount along with Able Company. Leaders, get your squads to lock and load. Resistance will be there but we aren't expecting much, over."

"They always say that." I sneered.

"Shut up Nara." Sarutobi snarled back. "All right 3rd, prep your weapons! Yamanaka have your kit ready the second we hit the ground but you make sure you've got your fingers on that Garand! Akimichi, you and Nazuka establish a good support position near the middle of our advance. Nara and Temari will cover you as you set up. Nakamura, you're covering Yamanaka while the rest of you stay with me. Y'all got that?"

"Yes sergeant!" We replied in unison.

"Ten minutes until we reach the drop-off point sir, over."

"Roger that. Remember Fox Company, we strike fast and establish defensive positions. We're leaving the others to assault this time, over."

"Well thank God for that. Wasn't really looking for running into bullets this time around anyway, right Shikamaru?" Temari asked. Surprisingly enough I was actually in agreement.

"Five minutes sir, over!"

"Captain Hatake, this is Lieutenant Namiashi of Able Company. We'll be laying down the law while you ground-pounders get on inside. Once we're clear we'll try and find a fording point to get across, over." It had occurred to me that Kusagakure had small rivers that flowed around it at certain areas. Whether we'd be cursed with a moving body of water or not I don't know, but I guess we'd have to wait and find out.

"God I hope they've got a bridge intact." I wished out loud.

"Join the club Nara."

"Thanks for the support sergeant."

"Two minutes, over!"

"Like we've done before 3rd squad! I want Yamanaka in the rear. We don't want our medic getting pasted the second she takes a step out! Nakamura and Nazuka you cover us should we come under fire. Nara and Temari will pick 'em off as they see 'em!"

"Thirty seconds!"

Already the muffled sound of staccato gunfire was heard in the distance. We kept our heads down in case a stray bullet just happened to careen our way.

"Looks like we're getting some fire our way there boys. Let's soften the landing for Fox. Take out any big guns you see."

The nearby tanks fired a salvo, taking out the second floor of what was an apartment building. A rocket streaked out of a window and nearly took out one of our Jeeps.

"Incoming rockets, I repeat incoming rockets!" One of the panicked truck drivers in front screamed.

"Get all .50 cal fire in those windows. Light the sum'bitches on fire for all I care just get rid of 'em!" First Sergeant Guy screamed right back. Soon enough our guns were alive chipping away at the closest buildings.

"Out! Everyone out!"

"Let's go third!" Already the bullets were smacking the ground around us but they were disorganized and inaccurate. "Get some fire on them!"

"On it!" Nakamura shot some bursts at the closest building he could find while Nazuka followed suit. Temari and I were the next to get off as we crouched behind an outlying stone fence. Judging by the immediate machine gun burst over our heads they figured us out to be the snipers, thus the deadliest and one of the top priorities to take out.

"Damn it! Got us pinned already!" I whined.

"Figures you start bitching the minute the battle starts Shikamaru! How about taking some action?" Temari snapped at me while trying to get a shot off. Another round of fire narrowly missed her head as she quickly crouched back down.

"What was that about taking action?"

"Shut up!"

"Get to the fence 3rd!" Sarutobi rallied the rest of the squad as they dove through the bullets and got right up to Temari and I, Nakamura the last to join us. "Real sporty already ain't it Nara?"

"Yeah...you could say that!" The cannon of our sole 75mm gun truck roared, its round slamming right into the corner of one of the Sound-occupied buildings. Tenten, Kankuro, and a couple of the other rocket soldiers took aim and fired one after the other, their rockets screaming past us and nailing the building at all different spots.

"How is that fuckin' thing still standing?" Nakamura whined. Sarutobi stuck his hands out and counted down from to one. When his index finger retracted, the cracking of the brickwork let itself be heard and within seconds the building that was housing some of the Sound MG positions crumbled. "Holy crap!"

"Nice timing sergeant." Sugiyama complimented.

"Ya get used to it private. Akimichi, set that MG up! We'll cover you!"

"On it sergeant! C'mon Shikamaru gimme a hand!"

"Right...all right Temari let's see if we can hit something this time." As Sarutobi led the support fire we scanned the area and spotted some riflemen running around the building to the left of the bridge. I managed to clip one in the side while Temari got a little too ambitious and went for a sprinter, hitting the stone archway right above his head.

"Nice one Temari."

She glared at me. "Shut up Shikamaru!"

"You good to go Choji!"

"All set good buddy!"

"Then let 'er rip!" Choji's MG got loud real fast as he poured fire into every window he saw. Nazuka pointed out some Soundies trying to concentrate fire but he cut them down with little effort. Choji had the tendency to get carried away with his machine gun but given his effectiveness and how he never got rattled by enemy fire we weren't complaining.

"Rocket!" Asano cried as one came streaking towards us.

"Temari get down!" Almost instinctively now, and troublesome by the way, I shielded Temari as we hit the dirt. The round landed in front of the stone fence, spewing dirt and gravel all over us like a fountain. Choji had ducked just in time before anything smacked him in the face.

"OW! Son of a bitch that hurts!" Toyama complained as bits of rock thumped him on the head.

"Ah quit yer bitchin' Kaz." I replied.

"Says the king of complaints himself!"

"Those rockets are a burden Shikamaru. Where the hell are they all coming from?" Ino for once agreed with me which was a shocker.

"From the buildings Yamanaka, but we're not a demolition crew so knockin' 'em all down would be an exercise in futility. Ah shit! Incoming!" Sarutobi yelled as we held our heads down again. The rocket this time went over us and landed right near some of 3rd Platoon, wounding one of them with shrapnel.

"Damn it. We're going nowhere if they keep this fire up!" Sergeant Mitarashi lamented.

"Check it out!" Of course the second she said that we caught four incoming objects to our rear. "Hot damn! It's the Lightning fighters!"

"Fox and Able Company this is Major Ishikawa. Looks like you've got yourself a bit of a jam already How's about we clear that up for you that sound good, over?"

"Fine by me sir, over." The captain replied over the company channel.

"Fantastic! C'mon boys, let's give them an easy walk-in!" As they zoomed closer we all cheered ecstatically. "Give 'em the housewarming gifts!" With their metal clanks sounding off, the Lightning bombers started dropping their payloads. The first one nailed a Sound anti-tank position dead on while the second missed and landed near the bridge, taking a tiny chunk off it and spraying water everywhere.

"Hey flyboys! How about keeping the fucking bridge intact huh?" Once again Sergeant Mitarashi got a little too hot-headed.

"Knock it off Anko." Sarutobi said back. She and Sarutobi got along, but where she let out her temper he was there to cool her down. That's another reason why I loved the sarge. The third plane's bomb smacked the nearby building where a couple of the rockets were firing from. "See? They keep their word."

"Special delivery!" The last plane dropped its payload on another fortified Sound position, nearly ripping the whole place in half and completely disorienting them. Two others had a little fun with their strafing runs as the Lightning planes left the Soundies running and scattered. The fighters spent about five minutes having a little turkey shoot before flying back into formation and pushing themselves deeper into the city amidst the anti-aircraft fire.

"That should make things a little easier Fox Company. We've got other matters to attend to so good luck!"

"Thanks sir, out." He rose to his feet. "All right! 1st Platoon get over that bridge! 2nd Platoon I want you following. Move in squad intervals! Everyone cover their assault!"

"All right 2nd Platoon get ready to move out!" Sergeant Morino yelled.

With the confusion caused by the Lightning fighters, we had capitalized on it and assaulted with little resistance. 1st Platoon had made it across ten minutes ago when my squad got the signal to go.

"C'mon 3rd let's keep it moving! Stay low and move fast! Nara, take point with Asano and Toyama."

"Great..." I muttered to myself. "All right guys you heard the sergeant! Watch over Ino as well. She'll be right behind us!" When Sasuke gave us the signal, we sprinted across dodging the very sporadic fire hitting the stone around us. 1st Platoon nearly lost a guy from the incoming fire but every round we fired back decreased their defense by a good deal.

A round took a chunk of a stone statue at the side of the bridge, right next to Toyama. "Contact ten o'clock!" He yelled as he immediately returned fire. Nakamura did the same and I almost had the guy in my sights but he fell. I turned and Ino's Garand was smoking. She grinned right at me.

"Can't be out of all the fun now eh?"

"Well done Ino. Choji would be happy to see you contributing for a change."

"Asshole..."

"Great shot Ino! C'mon let's keep moving. I'm right behind ya." Hand it to Choji to be the sycophant. We got to the ruined building that Kankuro and Tenten helped destroy, hugging up against the walls. I noticed a small ramp that the ruined second floor created down to our level.

"Hey sergeant! Hop up there and occupy?"

He glanced to where I was pointing and grinned. "Not a bad idea Nara. Take Temari, Sugiyama, and Toyama and flush it out! We'll cover you. C'mon Anko the path's clear! Get moving!" He waved Sergeant Mitarashi to advance.

"All right, Toyama you take point, I'll be right behind." I ordered as we both climbed up the makeshift ramp. It was steeper than I had thought but we got up there. Toyama pulled security while I pulled the other two up. "Everyone ready?" They nodded. "Ok let's go."

Quickly but carefully we spun into the first room which was pretty dilapidated and featured the bodies of two would-be Sound assailants.

"First room clear!" I muttered as to not attract anyone else's attention. I then heard some commotion and we all froze. It seemed that a couple more Soundies were trying to make a break for it and clambered down and out of the ruined house. Whether they lived or not, I couldn't tell as the barrage of gunfire from all sides drowned out any other noise. "You guys hear anything else?"

"Not a peep Nara." Toyama replied.

"Ok. Advance."

One by one we went through the small hallway. Still no activity from the Soundies.

"Seriously I'm startin' to think the Soundies done bugged out of this place with those last few." Toyama said as we passed through. "Is it me or does this floor feel funny?"

"It's probably you." Sugiyama said back.

"Nah...it's creaking too much." We all stood still for a second, the cracking of the floorboards getting louder. I stared down at the floor and saw the wood actually splitting.

"No one...move...a bit..."

Suddenly rockets or some other type of ordnance slammed into the house.

"Fuck! Why are they hitting us?" Temari yelled.

"I don't think it quite our guys! Just hold on to something!" I screamed as another rocket hit the building. Everything started getting louder despite us being as still as possible.

"Um...guys...you getting that sinking feeling?" Sugiyama asked.

_CRRRRRRACK!_ "OH SHIT!" I screamed as the entire floor collapsed from underneath us. With a hard thud we landed on the first floor, Temari and I scrambling to get ourselves up. In the midst of the fall we had knocked a wall over where four Soundies had been holed up. They were just as shocked to see us as we were them. I quickly raised my rifle up and pointed at them.

"No one move! No one fucking move! Weapons down now!"

"Put 'em down on the ground!" Temari added with the yelling.

"Surrender or we shoot!" Toyama screamed.

"Drop your weapons Leaf soldiers!"

"We will shoot you!" Another one of them warned.

"We'll shoot you if you don't drop 'em Soundies!" Sugiyama retorted.

The four of us traded shouting and threats at the Sound soldiers for about fifteen other seconds, mortar rounds landing all around us, rattling our bones. It seemed that one of them, a kid no older than Konohamaru, had lost his nerve.

"Ok fine! I dropped it! Just don't shoot me!" The scared kid raised his hands.

"You cowardly worm!" The soldier we deduced as the sergeant pulled out his Luger.

"I don't wanna die sergeant!" He nervously cried out.

"I'll shoot you myself!"

"NO!" Sugiyama screamed.

_POW! _Toyama's Carbine went off and dropped the Sound sergeant right where he stood. "There'll be none of that shit with us. The rest of you, drop your guns and we don't shoot you." Slowly and shakily seeing the execution of their sergeant, the other two panicked Soundies dropped their guns. "That's better. Nara, Sugiyama and I will escort these three back. You two ok?"

"We'll be fine. Get outta here...I'm sure Sarutobi's comin' in to check up on us."

"Ok."

"Kazuo..." Sugiyama muttered in admiration of his quick action. Had he not done anything that poor Sound kid might've died by his own army's hands. That's scoring some brownie points with the girl Toyama.

"Nara! We heard the fucking floor collapse! You kids ok?" Sarutobi screamed.

"Yeah...yeah we're ok sergeant. Toyama and Sugiyama are taking some prisoners out. We could use some help with security."

"Yeah I'll say. First half-hour into the battle and already you look beat up."

"Thanks. I think this house is about to collapse so we better bail."

"Great idea. C'mon 3rd let's link up with the rest of the platoon."

With Toyama and Sugiyama dropping off the first few POWs of the battle, they linked up with us in no time and most of the platoon was tactically formed out in the courtyard, taking cover behind whatever we could as we continued to hit some Sound resistance. Our initial breach had been successful but unfortunately our vehicles couldn't cross over and neither could the tanks. They'd have to find another place, perhaps with shallower water, to ford across. The Sound defensive structure was light...perhaps too light for my liking.

"Let's keep it going 2nd! We've got them on the run! The other platoons have our flanks so we needn't worry about any tricks." Lee claimed as he led the way towards the Sound positions. Little by little they were giving up foot after foot of ground, almost too willingly. The other three platoons had scatted off into areas that were a good half-mile from us. Our platoon was massed into a wall of weaponry, Tenten's Bazooka firing right into another concentration of Soundies but missing by a slim margin.

"Look at 'em! They're bugging out already!" Naruto cheered.

"Don't get too confident Uzumaki. Sound fuckers are sneaky devils." Mitarashi silenced his excitement.

"Incoming! Get down!" Sergeant Morino screamed as projectiles rained from the sky. The landed on the ground without exploding as the plunked around.

"What the hell?" Sakura pondered. "Smoke?!" The canisters hissed and expelled thick, grey smoke that enveloped the whole platoon. "Can't see a fucking thing!"

"Stay put 2nd Platoon! Wait until it clears!" The platoon sergeant ordered.

"Likewise babe! Fuck...keep it together 2nd squad!" Sasuke yelled out from the smoke.

I started coughing from the sulfur and thick concentration of the stuff. "Temari? Temari where are you?"

"Shikamaru!" Her voice rang out to my right as I scurried over, catching a faint glimpse of her uniform.

"Temari! I'm here. Just stay with me. I'll try and get the others! Sergeant! Sergeant do you hear me?" I got nothing. "Sergeant, can you hear me?"

"3rd move it! Move forward now!" I heard his voice in the distance.

"SERGEANT!" I got no reply. I couldn't see where the hell he was.

"Shit we're lost in this haze!"

"Fuck...not good." Temari moaned.

I shook a little bit as I could've sworn I heard that same evil laughter that haunted my dream in the back of my mind. No…not this again. All around us people were screaming out trying to get their bearings straight, and of course the confusion wouldn't have been complete without some troublesome attack, again from the sky. The loud shrieks and whines were all too familiar. Shit, not them again!

"Oh God in Heaven!" I yelled. "Screaming Mimis again! Get the fuck down!" The rockets pounded the ground in front of us and hit some of the buildings. Lee got launched back right past us but managed to survive. Like the Grass town before, they rained steel death upon us, but this time in greater number. Figures if at first you don't succeed, try, try again.

"Damn it! Sound once again get us in a tight spot!" Toyama lamented. "Shit! We gotta get some cover!"

"Good idea Kaz, but what about the sergeant and the rest?" Another rocket landed right near 1st squad and killed their support gunner on the spot.

"Fuck man...if we wait we're dead. Run! Run, God damn it!"

"I can't see a thing Shikamaru!"

"It's ok Temari, we'll find someone eventually." The smoke canisters landed again. So they lead us into a big open courtyard, blind us, and then try and rocket us to force a retreat. Once again the ingenuity of the Sound never ceased to amaze me. Then again I had remembered when we had done the same thing once in the Lightning Nation, the "blind and barrage" move we called it. Took out a nice-sized Sound armor group. We stumbled around trying to find which way was forwards. Another soldier fell to indiscriminate MG fire right in front of us.

"This way!" Toyama screamed right before he collided with another soldier.

"Fuck…watch it!"

"Naruto?"

"Shit! Shikamaru! What the hell is going on?"

"Fucking Sound trap Naruto, just stick with us and you'll be all right."

"Hinata, I gotta find Hinata!" He pulled away as I tried to yank him along with us.

"She'll be all right let's just go!" I tried to get him to stay while the fighting intensified. Toyama fired a clip in a noble attempt to get the Sound off us. A streak of bullets kicked up the cobblestone around us as we hid behind some boxes. "Ready? Go, go, go!"

"There Shikamaru! There's a building up ahead!"

"Head towards it! Move!"

The four of us made a mad dash towards a three story building that had a nice chunk taken out most likely from our Liberator bombings. Screams of confusion, fear, and panic surrounded us as 2nd Platoon scattered every which way. Squad cohesion had become a lost cause. Another scream became silenced as another one of the platoon went down from enemy fire.

"We're almost there! Keep moving!" A rocket landed right behind us, propelling us forwards in the air. The landing wasn't nearly as rough as we crawled our way into the ruined basement through one of the broken windows. Temari going in first followed by me, Naruto, and Toyama.

"Fuck! What in the fuck was that?" Naruto asked aloud.

"Another damn trick up their sleeve. Wouldn't be surprised if they did it to a lot of other units. How your Air Corps missed those I haven't a clue." Temari replied.

"Must've hidden them somewhere our bombers wouldn't have noticed. When the Air Corps stopped I bet they wheeled them into concealed locations with enough range to hit any invading element. How troublesome." I theorized which seemed to make sense amongst the group.

"Shikamaru? Shit I thought I heard overbearing intelligence mixed with complaining! Glad to see some others amongst the living." Some figures stepped out from one of the basement compartments. The pink-haired devil Sakura was the first to reveal herself. I knew that sass-mouth tone was familiar.

"Sakura! Hot damn we have some more in our merry bunch." Naruto cheered. The others revealed themselves which made Naruto's eyes light up like a flood light. "Hinata! Thank God you're all right!" He rushed towards her and held her close while inspecting her. "You're not hurt are you?"

"N-n-no N-Naruto…I'm ok." She smiled knowing he was ok as well.

"See Naruto? I told you she'd be fine." Score one for me being right in a hunch.

"We all ran into whatever building we could regardless of squad or element. Platoon unity got fucked the minute those damn smoke grenades went off." Tenten explained as Kankuro followed closely behind. Behind Tenten was the young girl Moegi. "I just hope everyone else is ok."

"Kankuro!" Temari said happily. I figured seeing the long-tubed weapons slung over their shoulders even when we didn't know who they were should've rung a bell in my noggin.

"Glad to see you're safe to sis."

"Where's Matsuri?"

"No idea. I'm sure she's ok…at least I hope she is. As Tenten just said we all got spread out and ran towards whatever cover we could. It's a real mess out there…another damn Sound tactic. Confusion and exploitation…"

"Well said Kankuro." Tenten replied.

Another person came sliding in through the window and the rubble, landing right on his side. "Jesus!" The dusty form coughed out while holding his side in pain. "I gotta remind myself never to do that again!" After brushing himself off while we stared at him and he looked around in confusion. "Glad to see you guys too?"

"Ayako! Good, another one of 4th is here." Naruto said. "So far that's three for us."

"Settle down spaz." Sakura chided.

"Says the odd woman out. You don't even belong in a squad."

"Stupid idiot…"

"It's Naruto you're talking to Haruno, remember?" Ayako muttered to her.

"All right let's shut up now. I need some time to think." I said while trying to concentrate, rubbing my fingers along my temples. "_Last time he had me take charge I lost Isshiki…I don't think I wanna do it again because this time an even closer friend of mine could die. Damn the troublesomeness, damn it all. How would Sarutobi handle this? Where is he when I need him?_"

"Hey Shikamaru? You got a plan or something?" Ayako inquired.

"Hey I'm not spearheading this mess! Sakura you wanna take charge?"

She raised her hands up in defense. "Hey don't look at me! I'm just an engineer!"

"Well why not you Shikamaru? You are the highest ranking infantryman here." Naruto just had to remind me and everyone else. Where the hell was an NCO or officer when you needed one?

"Damn it Naruto."

"Yeah Shikamaru, you're the top man so you call the shots." Tenten reinforced Naruto's position. Pretty soon everyone was in agreement and voting for me to lead the way. Fucking perfect…what a drag.

"I don't think so guys. Command decision isn't really my style."

"Well I'm not doing it!" Sakura blurted out.

"I can't and neither can Temari." Kankuro added.

"C'mon Shikamaru, don't be the complainer again." Naruto scolded me as if he was my superior. The nerve of that kid sometimes.

"Shikamaru," Temari pulled me to the side and spoke softly in my ear, "I know you're nervous and given your lazy tendencies this is the last thing you wanna do, but look at them. They're looking for someone to lead the way and you're the smartest one of the bunch." I took a good look at them, the nervous Moegi, the sentimental Naruto and Hinata, rough and ready Sakura, the resolute Tenten, all of them were looking to me for some sort of leadership at a time when I knew it could be an unwanted reality. "They need you right now Shikamaru, as do I."

"Temari…I don't know."

"Hey. Sergeant Sarutobi gave you that extra stripe for a reason right?" I nodded. "Well then, put it to good use."

"So troublesome…"

She rested her hand on my shoulder. "Them's the brakes Shikamaru. Besides, would you want any of those people leading you right now?" That was the convincing statement right there for me to be taking the helm. Sakura and/or Naruto would get us killed out of sheer recklessness, Toyama and Ayako were my pals but didn't make me too confident, and the rest of them looked too unsure to be making any command decisions.

"All right then. Guys, I'll do it."

"Nice! That's the Konoha way Shikamaru!" Naruto cheered.

"Ugh…" I groaned. "Don't remind me."

"Very well, what do you intend to do with our little makeshift squad eh ersatz squad leader?" Sakura asked, perhaps the most interested of all to see if I could live up to my rank and my name. "Hmm?"

"Hey Sakura why don't you use that massive forehead of yours for more thinking and less bothering huh?"

"What did you say?" She advanced to me with a pissed-off glare.

Temari stepped forward in a defensive posture. "You heard the squad leader, quit your bitching." Well played Temari. Glad to see you're the best backup I have right now.

"Infighting aside ladies, we need action. We gotta get linked up with the rest of the platoon otherwise we're as good as dead. Sakura, you'll head Team 2 while I head Team 1. Yeah you're an engineer but you have just as much experience as I do along with some decent weaponry. Naruto, Hinata, and Kankuro will join me while Toyama, Moegi, Tenten, and Ayako get with Sakura, or Corporal Haruno for that matter. First things first, we need to clear this building of any and all Sound elements. They're already using the element of surprise on us so let's use it right back on them…that is of course, provided they don't already know we're here. It'll be standard room breaching. I'll take point with Team 1 to clear the first room. After that Team 2 will clear the next while my team will pull security and vice versa. If it's a stairway or something else we'll play it by what it looks like. We have no idea where the Soundies might be lurking so we cannot take any chances rushing in like a bunch of maniacs. Keep three-hundred sixty degree security around the windows, doors, or open cracks. If it gets hairy we'll resort to grenades and whatever Sakura's got at her disposal."

"You sure about that Shikamaru?" She asked as she showed off her satchel charge. I had forgotten how much damage such a little package can do.

"Ya know on second thought grenades should do just nicely. Take what you can from the Sound because I have a feeling we'll be needing it. Tenten, Kankuro, if things get even hairier, and I'm talking outside armor, we're counting on the both of you to bail us out."

"No worries Shikamaru, we're the best armor slayers around." Kankuro boasted as he patted Tenten's shoulder, eliciting a smile from her face.

"Then the plan is set." Whenever I had a scheme cooked up, I had the tendency to join my hands together at the fingertips. Never knew why I did it…I just did. "Remember guys, stay low, stay alert, strike hard, watch out for your buddy, and we may just live through this."

"Lead the way Shikamaru!" Naruto cheered again with a gentle smile from Hinata as his backup affirmation.

I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. This was going to be one of my biggest undertakings yet. I could hear Sarutobi in my head right now.

"_I made you corporal for a reason Nara. You've got that intellect, that talent, and that potential to make sergeant one day and the time where you're gonna have to lead men and women into battle might be just around the corner. They may not say it, but your squad looks up to you sometimes. Don't let them, or me, down ya got that?_"

"Hey Shikamaru!" Temari snapped me back to reality.

"Um…sorry. Yeah Temari?"

"They're waiting for your orders Shikamaru. Remember, you may think of it as troublesome, but I know you can do it. I'll be with you every step of the way."

I involuntarily blushed a little bit. Perhaps she was right that I could lead and not fail the mission nor lose a single soldier. "Thanks Temari. It's good to know I can count on you always." I turned to the rest of them, my squad, my makeshift little squad, and bore them the confident grin of a leader. "All right then guys," I said to them as I stepped forward to be in front, "let's move out!"


	30. Chapter 30

How troublesome

How troublesome. Troublesome...the dictionary defines it as an adjective, meaning vexatious, causing annoyance, difficulty, or trouble. I use it as an everyday catchphrase, and I'll be damned if it didn't apply to my life twenty-four seven. Started with my mother, then with school, then with Ino, and then with graduating, and it got worse with the war, then the Sound invasion, then getting drafted, boot camp, and getting assigned to that tough sum'bitch Sarutobi for the first time. I thought it would be topped off with meeting that bossy sniper, the Sand fighter Temari, and having her incorporated into my squad. I thought it truly would be Temari. Turns out she wasn't as troublesome as I thought...Temari, the sassy blonde, the deadly resistance warrior, the unexpected love of my life. Of course fate has a funny way of still giving me what I want, and by that I mean exactly not what I want. What was I thinking? Taking command of this "squad." Was I serious? Did I seriously give them the grin of confidence like I knew what the hell I was doing? I mean look at us, a rag-tag group of young soldiers without any senior NCOs or an LT to follow. We got a mentally volatile engineer, a 4th squad jokester, a nervous medic, an over-eager B.A.R. gunner, a fellow smartass, two resistance fighters, a teenage girl, a Bazooka-wielding tomboy, and leading the pack is your friendly neighborhood cynical sloth...dear old me. Now you know what troublesome is and why I think everything happens to be it.

"Everyone has a full mag, locked and loaded?" I asked. They all nodded. "Kankuro, Temari, you both have enough ammunition?"

"We're good for right now Shikamaru." Kankuro replied to me as he secured his spare rockets and loaded his first round into the chamber of his Gewehr 43 he just recently snatched from a Soundie prisoner. "We can always grab more."

"Tenten, you have your rockets secure as well?"

"Strapped on and good to go squad leader."

"I appreciate the support Tenten, but that title doesn't really fit me right now."

"Well it should if we're to make it outta here Shikamaru." Sakura scolded.

"Thank you Miss Peanut Gallery…didn't see you chomping at the bit to take charge with that massive forehead of yours." I snapped back.

"Stop it children…" Temari interrupted.

I stopped my insults and listened to her. "Good point Temari. All right, Hinata, your kit ready?"

"Y-yes Shikamaru. All s-set and ready."

"Good. Stay behind Kankuro. Naruto, you and I will take point followed by Temari. If things get hairy, clear with grenades and assault through. Sakura, we'll let you know when we're clear so your team can take the next room. Steer clear of the windows and watch for snipers. Temari and I will scan the areas to make sure we're not being eyeballed."

"Sounds like you've already got a bit of a strategy Shikamaru." Toyama said.

"I'm quick on the draw from time to time. It's gonna change given the situation so don't get too comfy. Also, remember to scavenge what you can from the Soundies, especially grenades! Seems we're a little low so the more we can swipe the better. If something like a halftrack or StuG arrives, Tenten and Kankuro should be able to take it down. Sound good?"

They all nodded, sharing my feelings for a change. Outside the rockets continued to slam the courtyard accompanied by the distinct sounds of our guns clashing with theirs.

"All right then up the stairs, and stay alert. Naruto I've got your back."

"Right. Stay behind me Hinata. I'll protect you." He and I slowly crept up the staircase, the old wooden boards creaking and groaning much to our dismay. Luckily the chaos outside covered some of the sounds we were making. He poked his head slowly around the corner.

"The room's clear."

"Ok, everyone move up and stay low!" I ordered as we hustled in. Sakura and Naruto kept a firm watch on the doors in case any Soundies tried to bust through. "Ok, let's clear this floor. Sakura, take your team around the right while we cover the left. We'll meet up at the other corner of the house and move up from there."

"On it. Let's go team!" She scurried off with Moegi, Toyama, Tenten, and Ayako while we hurried through the small hallway to our left. Still no sight of Soundies which was good as we ran towards what I assumed was the living room, the couch and chairs all roughed up with a bullet hole or two in the walls and armoire. There were still no Soundies. "All right, we're clear here. Let's meet with Sakura in the kitchen." A quick bound to our right and we ran right into Sakura's team.

"Looks like the first floor's clean as a whistle Shikamaru."

"Good. Let's just hope the next ones are as well."

"Hey! You hear that?" Ayako asked as what sounded like boot stomps were heard above us. The sound of a pulled cord and knocking wood followed as a stick grenade rolled right down the staircase.

"Oh shit!" Naruto yelled.

"Take cover!" I screamed as Temari, Naruto, and I knocked the kitchen table over and dove over it. The explosion was deafening as wooden splinters shot everywhere. Small chunks of metal stuck into the table, a larger one going right through and sticking out right in between Temari and me. I nearly shit my pants. "Fuck! Everyone ok!"

"Yeah we're good!" Tenten answered.

"Keep them occupied Sakura, Naruto and I will go around."

"Roger that!" She stuck her Greasegun out and sprayed some rounds. "Move it!"

"Let's go Naruto!" We flew through the pantry and back to the hallway that we just cleared before. Sakura and Moegi were still keeping the Soundies upstairs busy but not for long. We leaned up against the wall next to the stairwell, where we had a small opening from the ceiling to the stairs. If we poked our heads up too soon we'd be pasted on the spot. We had to do this carefully. "Naruto," I whispered to him, "I'll prep a grenade and you ready your B.A.R. the second Sakura starts firing another burst ok?"

"Roger."

"Wait for it..." I crawled to get a glimpse of Sakura and gave her the thumbs up. She nodded and knew what to do.

"Hey Soundies here's some more!" She screamed as she unloaded another burst along with Moegi unleashing a clip from her Garand.

"Now Naruto!" I barked as he swung his B.A.R. and poured rounds right into one of the Soundies. The other one readied his MP40 and sprayed some rounds as I tossed my grenade. "Fire in the hole!" I screamed as I slammed myself down with Naruto. Bullets screamed over head raining wooden chips all over the two of us, but a few seconds later an earthshaking boom erupted on the second floor.

"Clear it…now!" I yelled as Naruto, Toyama, and Tenten flooded to the front, felling a stunned Soundie while we ran up. I caught one trying to bust through a closet door and took him down with a well-placed shot from the hip. Sakura soon followed charging up the stairs like a hellion, knocking a Soundie out with her gun before the woman could get a shot off and tossing a grenade into another to preemptively clear it, regardless of whether Soundies were in there or not. One thing was for sure, the chances of the Soundies picking up on the commotion that we made were quite high. We had to act fast.

"Grab their grenades! We need everything we can from them! Temari, Naruto, keep security on the front and make sure no one gets through!" I ordered as the rest of them pried the stick grenades from the dead and unconscious Soundies. Kankuro wasted no time grabbing a couple clips for his rifle and then covering Tenten as she reloaded her weapon. "Everyone ready?" The affirmations came all in a row quickly.

"Good. Let's go! Sakura, get your team to clear the next room now!"

She and Toyama led the way charging into the room she threw the grenade. It only took them ten seconds to yell clear to me. My team scrambled right through and near the door towards the hallway. From the looks of it the hallway was narrow and could fit maybe two people side by side.

"Tenten, get a good look." I muttered. She nodded and tactfully moved towards the doorway. Meanwhile we kept low as to not attract attention outside while firefights were ensuing all over, most likely our own scattered platoon against the Sound defenders. She turned her head slowly around the corner.

"Fuck!" She snapped right back as a roar of enemy fire came tearing across the hallway. "Looks real sporty down there Shikamaru!"

"Damn it…get one of those sticks grenades ready Ayako."

"On it!" At first he fumbled with the thing until I showed him. In the mean time Sakura stuck her hand around with her submachine gun and sprayed a couple more shots at our assailants. Tenten said they might've been positioned at the back or just firing from the doorways, either way we had to clear them out. "Ok I finally got it!" He ran towards the side of the door and chucked it at the side to bounce off and get some more distance. Rather troublesome though was that the Soundies returned the favor as a grenade rolled our way.

"Clear the doorway now!" Toyama yelled. We all dove to the wall as it exploded. It wasn't as bad as the stairway grenade but it still caused some pain.

"Everyone ok?" I asked. Hinata took a little while to get up, her hands covering her head in pain.

"Hinata! Hinata are you ok?" Naruto rushed to get her by the corner.

"M-my head…it hurts…"

"It's ok…it just stunned ya a little bit. I won't let that happen again Hinata."

"Throw another one." I told Temari as she took one from her pouch and prepped it. Another firm toss and a few seconds later the boom shook the entire house.

"Naruto! Kankuro! Send some fire down the hall!"

The two of them rushed in, since going slow and low would just give the Soundies the opportunity to hit them and fired a couple rounds. I soon followed keeping my rifle ready to support. A Soundie tried to throw another grenade but was dropped by Kankuro before she could pull the detonation cord. We still hit the dirt but after a few seconds and no boom it was safe. Another Soundie fired from around the corner blindly. We barely had enough time to get down again before the bullets could hit us.

"Hold still." Temari commanded. She crept towards the back, kneeling with her rifle raised as we slunk our way towards the Sound. Ten seconds later the Sound hand and weapon returned but Temari was ready. Her rifle cracked loudly and struck the enemy's weapon. This afforded Naruto the opportunity to rush in and butt stroke the guy before he could recover.

"Great shot Temari!" I lauded her for that kind of pinpoint accuracy.

"All in a day's work, now let's go!" Hinata followed behind her as we cleared the rest of the hallway.

"Move up Sakura!" She and her team scurried up and stacked along the side of the wall. Sakura peeked her head over and then turned to nod, that being all I needed for confirmation. I nodded right back and waved my hand to get our team moving. The room was covered in soot and debris, a small chunk of the ceiling blown away probably from an errant mortar round or something. Outside of that it was still bereft of hostile forces. We took defensive positions, ready to take on what might be assaulting us through the next room. So far so good Shikamaru.

"All clear!" Hinata announced to Sakura's team.

"So far so good eh squad leader?" Sakura asked me passing by with a hint of intent to annoy.

"Just make sure we're clear in the next room."

"No reason to be testy. I mean…"

"Oh shit, get down!" Kankuro yelled as the shriek of a rocket got closer and slammed into the outside wall right near the room. The walls started to crack under the shock of the Sound ordnance. "Damn it we've got rocket troopers!" How troublesome, the second Sakura says the coast is clear or that getting back to the platoon might be a walk in the park another shitstorm lands on my lap. Damn women and their jinxes.

"Well don't just stand there fucking kill them!" Toyama whined.

"Easier said than done!" Tenten added while peering outside the window. "They're hunkered down."

"Everyone just shut up and get these guys off our ba…" I was about to finish when another rocket slammed into the wall right about our windows. We were greeted with a mix of debris and bullets. It took me a few seconds but I managed to regain my composure as we lay as flat as possible. The girl Moegi laid next to Sakura as petrified as can be while Sakura kept her reserve.

"Shikamaru! Y-you all r-right?" Hinata asked me.

"I'm fine Hinata…just a little shaken up. All right guys, if this is how they wanna play the game…then let's not disappoint. Get some fire out those windows. Drop whoever you can but the rocket soldiers are the prize!"

Naruto and I found a couple assailants and quickly dropped them while Temari got a lucky shot off one of the Panzershreck wielders. It was a brief moment of joy until another soldier simply picked it up and fired. "GET DOWN!" Naruto screamed. The rocket hit right in between the two windows that Tenten, Kankuro, and Ayako were near. The blast sent them towards the ground as I turned to watch them struggling to get back up. Kankuro was groaning in pain but from the looks of it nothing got inside of him. However, with that chunk of wall open and crumbling even more by the second, we were soon to be sitting ducks.

"Everyone get outta here now! We're wide open for another rocket if we don't leave. Go, go, go!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as the bullets started to pepper the walls and ceiling. As low as we could cover ourselves we all made a mad dash towards the next hallway that connected into the next building. It was slightly blown out so a roadie run for everyone would be necessary. I surveyed the situation and as shitty as it was, we could only run one at a time.

"Naruto...on my mark, and go!" I slapped his back as he ran with reckless abandon, Hinata freaked out of her mind as bullets chipped away at some of the exposed wall and nearly into Naruto. Luckily Naruto was always quick on his feet as seen back in Kumo against the StuG. "All right Hinata, you're next. Naruto's got you covered! Go!" She scurried as low as possible while on the verge of hyperventilating. Keeping a lower profile than Naruto, Hinata was able to not attract as much fire as she went right into Naruto's protective embrace.

"Keep it moving squad leader c'mon!" Sakura yelled from behind. She obviously didn't understand the tactic of patience and careful movement.

"Kankuro go!" A few seconds later he was across. "Temari you're next!"

"No way…I go with you 'squad leader.'"

"I said move it!"

"And I said no. I go with you!" As insubordinate as she was I caved in to her fiery will.

"Ok…fine then! Moegi, move it!" Soon enough everyone else aside from Temari and I were across and either pulling security or watching us get ready. "Ready Temari?"

"Born ready…here," she then kissed me, "for good luck." Leaving me stunned she took off as a hailstorm of bullets followed, a couple missing her by a mere inches but she made it over safely thank God.

"All right Shikamaru, time to move it!" I said to myself as I dashed down the exposed hallway. The bullets were just as ineffective, but the whirring of an incoming mortar made me nearly piss my pants. With a loud boom the round slammed into the rooftop behind me and forced me down while pieces of ceiling battered me overhead. Everything was getting blurry and it felt like someone took a club to my legs.

"Shikamaru!" I barely heard Naruto yell as the blurred form of him and Temari dragged me towards the end. "The hell Shikamaru?! Does everything troublesome have to happen to you?"

"Shut…up…asshole."

"Shikamaru how're your legs?" Temari inquired with great concern.

"They're good…they're fine. Hurtin' a little but fine." I quickly dismissed her worries with a wave of my hand. "We still gotta move so get to it!" Though they ached a little bit, when my vision started to return I inspected them the best I could and found no blood or lacerations. I'm sure the next day or two I'd have bruises the size of melons but that was if we lived to see the next day.

It was pure chaos outside as we couldn't even afford to see if any of our comrades were outside fighting. I pondered whether we should just find the nearest exit and try our luck to regroup but the risk of running straight into a Sound force was high and it'd be better we stay indoors for now. Besides, I wasn't convinced anything was safe unless I heard Sarutobi himself grunting out some order. Knowing they knew we were inside, we couldn't stay in one place for long.

"I hear 'em outside guys!" Naruto announced.

"We all do ya dolt but without a safe exit route it means precisely squat!" Sakura jeered in reply. Despite her slight admiration for Naruto she was never one to cut him any slack. Matter of fact none of the women did outside of Hinata.

"Normally I don't agree with pink-haired, large forehead, blowhard engineers," I said earning a mean glare from Sakura, "but she's right. We need to clear a path first before we even think about wandering out there. Besides, we can hear them but we don't know precisely where they are. We could be waltzing right into a Sound MG position thinking the LT is just around the corner."

"Then where to squad leader?" The girl Moegi spoke up.

"Anywhere but here. If we stay here any longer they'll blow the whole damn foundation. Let's keep moving. I'm sure the next building or two will be more stable and by then the smoke will have cleared. Just remember what I've been tellin' you guys. Stay sharp and stay low. So far none of us have fucked up and died. That makes me happy."

"Look at Captain Obvious over here." Temari snidely remarked.

"Temari…damn it. You're making me look bad."

"Better replace the name to Captain Crybaby then huh?"

"Tch. Whatever…we've still got a job to do." I quickly dismissed Temari's mean yet oddly playful attempt to get under my skin and got near the front with Naruto who slapped a full magazine into his rifle. We slowly entered the next room which still had no Soundies defending it but nevertheless we were careful. "Easy guys…easy…" Another small section of hallway lay before us, quite narrow and good for pretty much one person to fit though. "All right we gotta move quickly through. Can't get stuck movin' too slow otherwise they'll kill us all." Soon enough we heard boots clattering on stairs and out popped a Sound soldier with his rifle raised. It cracked as it tore through the clothing on Naruto's shoulder and the next round scraping his left arm.

"Son of a bitch!" He angrily yelled as he pumped three rounds into the man, a second assailant came through with the yelling of a third close behind.

"Fuck this! Charge!" I ordered rather impulsively as Hinata and I dropped the second man. Naruto burst full speed ahead and slammed the third soldier into the wall. He slammed him so hard it reminded me of when Choji would get into fights back in Konoha and be like a boulder charging at some drunken asshole. He swung his B.A.R. towards the opening and lit the staircase up with his muzzle flash. Hinata rammed her rifle into the man Naruto hit to make sure he was lights out as the rest of us followed close behind. "Keep moving!" The lower section of the stairs was cut off with concrete and debris leaving only the third floor to access. Still we made do with what element of speed and shock we had and charged up. "Hold it!" I yelled with an open palm hand in the air. "Toyama, toss me a grenade."

"Hot off the oven Shikamaru!"

"Nice. Ok one, two, three..." Pulling the pin I let it cook for a second before hurling it right through the doorway. "Fire in the hole!"

With a fierce boom the grenade detonated giving Sakura the confidence to rush in with Ayako and Toyama close behind. A couple of gun bursts and the go-ahead from Sakura was all I needed to hear before I advanced. Hinata aimed to treat Naruto's wound but he dismissed it.

"Great work!" I praised her as I saw the quick disposal work she and the other two did on the Soundies.

"What can I say? I'm a natural." As soon as her arrogant self-assurance was over however a flood of enemy fire came ripping through the windows, a couple nearly knocking Ayako's head clean off.

"Holy shit!" He yelled as he fell right on his ass.

"Get down and take cover!" I screamed as I grabbed one of the enemy stick grenades and tossed it out the window. "Someone grab that MG from the ledge! We need that!"

"No worries squad leader we're on it!" Tenten and Kankuro dashed over to dislodge the emplaced MG42 while Moegi, Naruto, Temari, and I helped cover their movement with the addition of tossing another grenade or two. The clunks of their grenades resonated loudly off of the walls but luckily none found their target...yet. Meanwhile Tenten and Kankuro were busy dislodging the MG42 from the window perch. Surprisingly enough they were working well as a team when time was of the essence.

"We got it!" Kankuro announced.

"Good! Let's get the fuck out of here!" We fled the scene towards the hall. I turned to see a grenade or two finally get inside, urging my squad to double the pace. A few seconds later they detonated.

"Ahhhhh! I'm hit!" The high-pitched agony startled me as I turned to see Moegi writhing in pain on the ground. Her side was splotched with small dots of dirt and blood. The grenade must've blown a few bits of shrapnel and/or rock into her. From a superficial standpoint it wasn't too bad but still needed some help.

"It's ok soldier...you're gonna be fine! Hinata! Oh shit Ayako, are you ok?" His arm was slightly stained with blood but he seemed to be all right.

"Yeah I'm fine Shikamaru. Take care of her first!"

Hinata ran over to help her up and get her to a safe location as a rocket blew open the room we were just in. "D-don't wor-worry Moegi. You b-b-be all right." She quickly took Moegi's uniform blouse off and did her best to remove any exposed shrapnel from her side as we holed up in a small storage room. "Ok. That sh-should take care of m-most of it. Hold s-still please." Moegi grimaced and winced in pain as Hinata applied some powder and dressing to her wounds. She was as conservative as possible knowing she was the only medic out of all of us but it did the job helping the young girl.

"Th-thank you Hinata." She meekly uttered out. Hinata just nodded and smiled back.

"It's my j-job."

"There ya go soldier. All patched up and ready to go. Ayako you still ok to fight?"

"It's just a scratch Shikamaru, you needn't worry about me!"

"All right then let's move it to the next room guys. Moegi you and Ayako keep off point. Can't have any wounded leading the way and getting shot right? Toyama, take the MG since Tenten and Kankuro already have heavy weapons. C'mon let's move it!"

The next two rooms were actually completely barren which surprised all of us but gave Moegi and Ayako a little respite to work out their wounds. I thanked the heavens that those grenades only peppered them and didn't do anything else outside of lethal injury or death.

"All right squad," I said in a rather terse manner, "we're almost through this God-awful ordeal. Got enough annoying things in my way so I don't need anyone to be stupid and get hurt so Hinata has to take up time fixing you got that?" Despite some odd looks from Temari and Sakura, the rest seemed to get what I was saying.

"Hey check it out Shikamaru!" Naruto pointed out the sight of the next building completely open to access from this roof. The only problem was that it involved a good three or four foot jump. This wasn't going to be pretty but I had no other options.

"Huh...well good to know there's at least some exit from this rooftop since the bottom's blocked off. All right guys just like the hallway drill." I signaled Sakura to be the first to go.

"Oh great...now I'm the sacrificial lamb."

"I could begin a diatribe on how annoying you are Sakura but given," my sentence was cut off from a nearby mortar round, "given how troublesome it would be and how time isn't on our side I won't. Now get ready to jump! Toyama you're next!"

She got herself in a runner's stance. "Ready Shikamaru!"

"Ok...go!" Like a bat out of hell she took off and nearly somersaulted over the gap. Whipping out her Greasegun she scanned the whole place before giving me the ok signal. "Toyama go!" He jumped not nearly as elegant as Sakura but this wasn't an gymnastic event and I didn't give a shit.

"Let's roll Shikamaru!" Kankuro was next up as he managed to clear the gap even with his heavy Panzerschreck.

"Good! Ayako, are you good to go? What about you Moegi?"

"Just a scratch Shikamaru." He leapt across and was hoisted in by Toyama. Moegi was ready to go but stopped dead in her tracks, paralyzed by the fear.

"C'mon private we have to hustle!"

"I can't!" It was bad enough her side was all bloody but the fear of falling to her death was killing her psyche. Damn women…always a burden. I wouldn't get this kind of crap with an all male squad but no, fate had to kick me in the ass again with half of my unit being whiny, scary, or plain troublesome girls.

"You have to that's an order! Damn it Hinata go!" Hinata charged and jumped the best she could. Meanwhile the enemy got wise to us and started firing into the windows. After cracking off a couple rounds I waved Temari to go ahead leaving just Tenten, Moegi, and I. "C'mon private you can do this. I'll be right behind you. Trust me..."

"C'mon guys you're leaving us hanging!" Toyama complained.

"Shaddup! All right, you can do this...just jump as hard as you can you got that?" She nodded weakly. "Ok good, ready...se..."

"Shikamaru!"

_BOOOOM! _Everything went real blurry after that. My limbs felt like cement blocks as I struggled to regain my vision. Around me I could see Tenten on the ground and Moegi huddled next to the wall. Something big must've hit the building because the intense light from the sun soon encompasses the whole place.

"_Get up Shikamaru...get up!_" I yelled to myself as I tried pushing myself up, my arms weak as hell. "Ughhh...Tenten? Tenten?"

"Uhnnnnn..." Her groan was a slight satisfaction for me but like me she was pretty banged up. My vision also started returning as did the normal pitch of the battle outside. I could hear my comrades yelling at us in outright fear. She tried picking herself up but fell down. Bullets started scraping the walls outside and in prompting me to get my body working again.

"Tenten...are you all right."

"Sq-squad leader...I'm...owwwww...I'm all right. Fuckers...those fuckers got us by surprise."

"Moegi?"

"H-here squad leader."

By that time my body was aching but my mind took over fully. We had to get across and now. "Moegi...just 'cause I'm hurtin' doesn't mean...doesn't mean you're not jumpin'. Can you get up Tenten?"

Trying with all her might as she finally found a wall to support herself, Tenten got herself back on her feat in an impressive display of strength. "Can't...can't look weak in front...of the girls right squad leader?"

I smiled. "Well said from a troublesome woman. Now get going!" She winked at Moegi while taking off at full speed. Leaping as best she could, she made it over no problem, but then her foot lost purchase along the ledge when a piece came out from under her. I watched in shock as she slid. "Oh fuck Tenten!"

"Tenten!" Kankuro's hand came almost instantaneously to grab her wrist as she dangled from the edge. "I got ya! I got ya!"

"Shit! Pull me up!" A couple rifle rounds hit the wall and missed Tenten by mere inches. Temari grabbed Tenten's rifle and sleeve and the both of them pulled as hard as they could to get her over. It took a few seconds but they got her over just in time before a flurry of lead plastered the walls.

"All right private, it's now or never. We have to jump! I'll be right behind you." She just looked at our comrades and back at me nervously. "It's ok. I'm not gonna let you die." After a loud gulp she gripped her rifle as tight as she could and ran full speed ahead towards the clearing. By miracle of some higher power she made it and then some, tumbling to the floor as Hinata helped her back up. It must've hurt since she clutched her side but at least that one troublesome ordeal is over. The ground shook as what must've been another heavy gun round slammed into the second floor below me. Now or never Shikamaru...

"Here I come guys!" I took a deep breath and sprinted towards Temari who was ready to help me over. With all the strength my hurting legs could muster I leapt, planting one foot on the broken ledge and pushing right onto the wooden floor. We were all over which was a miracle.

"Shit, that was tense!" Naruto yelled as we rushed towards one of the open rooms. "What do we do now?"

"Hold on." I peeked outside when the coast was clear. I saw two squads of Soundies moving in on our positions and it looked like things were going to only get uglier from here on in. "Toyama, get that MG prepped on the window. We got contacts coming in and fast! Everyone else take up positions! I hate to say it but we've got ourselves a bit of a situation here. You know when I think something's a drag? Well here's a drag times ten."

"What kind of a situation squad leader?" Sakura pondered apprehensively.

I pointed towards the windows as she peered outside. "That kind of a situation."

"Oh fuck me..." More soldiers came pouring out the woodwork towards our building.

"Let Sasuke worry about that." Toyama jabbed. "Right now we need to do what the squad leader says."

"Thanks Kaz. All right, get that door barricaded Sakura and Ayako. Temari, get with Kankuro and Toyama and start delaying their movement. Tenten, I want you to look for any assault guns or anything big. If you see something big, you blow it the fuck up. Moegi you're with her."

"No sweat. C'mon Moegi."

"Hinata, Naruto will keep you covered but I want you in a safe spot. We can't lose the medic in the first few minutes."

"Yeah Hinata, I'll keep ya safe."

"Here they come!" Toyama yelled as he kept low trying to balance the MG42 tripod while Kankuro helped him load the box of bullets. Bullets already started taking small piece of the walls and windows out. It was only a matter of time before they hit harder. "Ok the gun's all set!"

"Well no need to tell us Toyama, just fire the fucking thing!" Sakura snapped. Toyama needn't reply as he cocked the charging handle and let loose. Personally none of us have ever fired a Sound MG42. We all knew how devastating it could be, but the roar of that beast was intimidating even to the ones wielding it. As I watched Toyama already cut down two or three assaulting Soundies forcing the others behind cover.

"Good work Kaz! How're doing with the door Sakura?"

"If a good hundred pounds or so of rubble doesn't stop a Sound infantryman I don't know what will!" I turned to see her confident smile next to a pile of broken pieces of concrete and right in front of the door. Although this would effectively block our easiest means of exit it would help block their means of entrance.

"Tenten, Naruto...you two see anything?" My question was already answered by the crack of her rifle.

"Yeah it's gonna get real fun real quick squad leader!"

"Well then we hold on for as long as we can! Temari, I'm going to help Sakura and Tenten. You hold down the fort over here!"

"Try not to fuck things up without my supervision ok crybaby?"

"Jeez...thanks for the vote of confidence you troublesome woman." She reached in for a kiss before we parted ways. An errant bullet had streaked right behind me and hit the wall as I fell right on my ass. Everyone was too busy to notice save for Temari who just shook her head. I sneered at her, picked up my rifle, and went towards the action. Just perfect! My first time as a squad leader and I'm the one leading a defense of a shot up building with squads of Soundies and their big guns waiting to tear us to pieces outside.

"What a mess..." I muttered to myself. "Sarutobi...hear me now...help me get these guys through this."

My thoughts raced a mile a minute through my head. The bullets, explosions, and screams of comrade and enemy alike disturbed the attempt for mental calm, but I tried nonetheless. Reaching into the back of my mind, I had to remind myself of why I was a Nara. Sure I was lazy and rather cynical towards everything, but I'd be damned if I let anyone I had to look out for get harmed. The ambiance around me slowed and softened itself. Though they were busy fighting off the Sound I was trying to focus. It took a second or two but my mind became at ease and my hands came together at just the fingertips. A confident smile came over my face as my mind was clear and ready to fight. I felt Sarutobi's wit and courage instilled in me already.

"Squad! We do not let these people get us! We will not let them take this place, not one inch of this floor is to be given up! Toyama, keep that MG fire going. The more we bog them down the better. Kankuro and Tenten, use those rockets carefully and on either a big group of Soundies, armor, or a field gun...nothing else! Outside of that picks your shots carefully. Temari watch for machine gunners or mortars and pick them off at a moment's notice. That's your priority. Hinata, assist Naruto the best you can but don't throw yourself in the thick of it. Sakura, you got any surprises in that magic bag of yours?"

"Funny you mention that. I gots myself a nice mine here and a bundle of TNT."

"Fantastic. See what you can do with that and for our Sound guests." A devilish smile came from her lips as she pulled herself away from the window and towards the barricaded stairwell door. "Ayako and Moegi, we need you helping out Tenten and Temari as best as possible. We can do this squad! We gotta hold out as long as possible before help arrives."

"What if it doesn't?" Ayako pondered, bringing a possible grim reality to the table.

I looked at them with the same grim but realist face that Sarutobi would've given my squad. "Then we go down like heroes." It wasn't the best answer but it was something. What I thought would crush their spirits actually gave some them like Naruto and Moegi renewed vigor.

"Then what're we waiting for?" Naruto blasted out. "Let's show these bastards we aren't gonna be taken lightly! We'll show 'em up but good...believe it!"

I smirked at the lovable idiot. "All right then, we know what we gotta do. If your cover becomes too exposed then break off and use another spot. Let's keep them guessing where we'll hit. Go!"

"You heard the squad leader…let's do this!" Toyama said in support. Looks like a lazy asshole like me is slightly capable of rallying a squad, albeit a mix and match squad with two Sand fighters. Everyone rushed to whatever cover near the windows they could find and let the Sound have it. I myself caught a mortar team rushing their shots, picking one off as the mortar landed on the building next to us. The explosion shook the place but we held our ground. They got another mortar round off as I finished the second man off, the ordnance a little more accurate as it exploded near where we jumped to.

"Steady squad! Keep them pinned down! Toyama, sniper in the open! Cut him down!" I directed him towards a Soundie who had placed himself near the hulk of a ruined halftrack.

"Right!" He swerved his MG and with a couple bursts that sounded like torn canvas and the spattering of blood the sniper crumpled to the ground. Some dumb sap tried to make a dash for it and pick up his rifle but Sakura had other ideas as she clipped the soldier in her hip and arm but failed to finish her off.

"Leave her…no sense wasting ammo."

"Over there! Eleven o'clock!" I directed Kankuro to fire at a couple Soundies throwing grenades from behind a stone ledge. He only got one of them but the man's grenade dropped causing the other to flee.

"Squad leader! PAK 40 rolling up!" Tenten yelled from the other side.

"Naruto and Hinata, cover Tenten! You know what to do with that gun right?"

"No need remindin' me! I've been dyin' to break my baby out again!"

"Hey Tenten, don't go and miss on the first shot, otherwise I'll have to pick up your mess!" Kankuro playfully mocked.

"Last time I checked you were taking notes from my style!"

"I don't care who copied who just shoot the God damn thing!" Sakura, having enough of their little competition, blurted out.

"Ok fine...don't need to tell me..." A roar of cannon fire went off as the small bedroom near our entryway was obliterated from the same cannon.

"Holy shit!"

"Is everyone all right?" I yelled as no one seemed to be seriously hurt, just shaken up.

"Those motherfuckers!" Tenten screamed in frustration. Without delay she had already loaded one of her rockets in the tube. "Naruto, Hinata...cover me!"

"You got it Tenten! Covering fire!" The two of them sprayed the nearby area with bullets as she carefully aimed at the cannon and its crew who were just readjusting their fire right towards them.

"Have some fun with this! Firing!" Her Bazooka furiously launched the rocket out leaving smoke clouds all over her room. A few seconds later we heard a massive explosion.

"Did you get it?" I asked.

"Yeah hotshot, ya hit 'em?" Kankuro inquired. A couple of subsequent explosions rocked the whole area.

"Whaddaya think?" She winked at Kankuro.

"Damn you're scary lady..."

"Who's got the pea shooter now?"

"All right...all right...I guess it's on now."

"That's cute you two," I cut them off noticing the rest of the squad was still busy keeping the Sound at bay, "now get back. We've still got a fight remember?!"

"Contact right! Another squad!" Toyama screamed as I peered through my scope. I wish it had just been another squad but instead it was about two or three of them. In our stalwart defense we had already killed a good amount of Soundies trying to get in but they kept coming, redoubling their efforts to see us dead.

"Kaz how're ya doin' on ammo?"

"Still got another box but it can't last forever. Damn Soundies keep tryin' to shoot me up. Got a fucking bullet whiz right by my damn cheek!" I saw the small streak of blood running down his face but as stubborn as a mule he kept going. "Don't..." he sprayed the MG some more as I took a pot shot or two at some ambitious but stupid Sound troopers, "worry about me and don't get Hinata in here to help. I'm ok."

"Shit! Panzershrecks!" Kankuro yelled. His lit his rifle up at some of the rocket troopers, but he only managed to wound one. The rest of them were protected by a whole squad.

"Displace!" I screamed. Toyama grabbed the MG and hauled ass into the hallway along with us as the rockets slammed right into where we were, taking a good chunk of the wall. "Damn it! Now our cover's reduced to half! Scatter you guys! We gotta hit them from all angles!" I took a small pantry where the window was already shattered. It didn't take me long to find some blowhard Sound sergeant trying to rally his soldiers. A quick pop of the rifle and his morale boosting days were over. "Heart or head, Soundie's dead." I muttered to myself with a big grin. "Not this time fellas."

"Shikamaru! They're gainin' on us!" Naruto yelled from the other side.

"Hold the line! We have to hold them! Use your grenades!"

"Fire in the hole!" Hinata screamed as she must've tossed a grenade outside. A rocket from the room next to me screamed at the Panzerschreck soldiers, launching one in the air as she landed into a couple of her Sound comrades.

"HA!" Kankuro laughed loud enough for everyone to hear. "Ya see that?"

"Keep firing! Keep firing!" I screamed. The MG42 barked back into action as Toyama set it up in the room where Kankuro was. I could hear Naruto and even Temari taunting the enemy as an almost rhythmic pattern of shots emitted from all of our rifles.

"Squad leader! They're getting in!" Moegi yelled. Despite our best efforts, already a couple managed to get themselves in, but luckily Sakura had caught sight of them and had a trick or two up her sleeve.

"I got the bases covered guys...just wait for it." She announced to us.

"Watch out Hinata!" Naruto screamed as some sort of ordnance slammed into one of the walls, causing me to fall off the step I perched myself on. "Holy shit! Are you all right?"

"N-Naruto...I'm ok. I'm ok."

"Can someone get a bead on who did that?" I asked.

"Mortar team under cover, my left!" Temari answered.

"Take 'em out!" I tried to get a peek at the amassing Soundies but their fire was getting more and more intense. I couldn't get my head out of the window. I switched my position running towards the section of the blasted room that still had some cover, coming out and downing another Soundies as he got too close for my liking. However, another mortar round slammed on the roof shattering pieces of concrete and woods around us. "Temari! Get that damn mortar team!"

"I'm doing the best I can you lazy smartass! How about you pull your weight?"

"Troublesome woman! At least I can hit something!"

"How about you both shut up?! FUCK!" Naruto screamed in frustration as another mortar round hit the building. "We're not gonna last much longer if you two don't shut up!"

A crack from Temari's rifle rang through the floor. "There, got the assholes. Happy now ya crybaby?"

"As a matter of fact I am, so just shut up and shoot!"

"Damn it! I'm out of MG ammo!" Toyama cried.

"We got some big company!" Ayako screamed.

"What is it?"

"Oh shit...StuG! It's a fucking StuG!" Temari yelled.

"What?!"

"Oh fuck..." Naruto added with the aura of sudden panic.

"Tenten...get on that thing now! Kankuro, get ready to assist!"

"You got it! I'm comin' Tenten!"

"Firing!" Her rocket screamed out the window but nicked the monster. "Damn it I missed!"

"I got ya covered Tenten!"

"Hurry it's moving its turret!"

_BOOM!_ The tank roared as its round tore right into the room next to Tenten and the rest. My side of the room was able to absorb most of the blast keeping me and the section of my squad there safe, but I panicked over the others.

"TEMARI! Oh fuck Temari!"

"Shikamaru!" Her cry gave me some relief as I dodged stray bullets and crumbling debris to help her up. "Tenten...she's hurt!"

"What?" I turned to see Tenten lying unconscious on the ground. "Oh God! TENTEN!"

Hinata scrambled up from the ground as we huddled into the safest cover we could find pulling Tenten along. She put her hand to Tenten's neck and nodded. "She's ok...j-j-just t-t-took a big hi-hit."

"Those assholes! I'll get 'em for ya Tenten!" Kankuro said to her with hatred and rage in his eyes. He swung his Panzerschreck to bear again and fired straight for the StuG, hitting it right in the tracks and dislodging it. "You sons of bitches!"

"Great shot man, now we gotta finish it off!"

"No problem!" He reloaded and took aim as the StuG's shot went off course from the sudden stop it had to take. With a pull of his trigger it went off but unfortunately veered off course. "Fuck! I'm down to one!"

"Quick, where's Tenten's Bazooka?" We turned and looked around only to find Moegi struggling to regain her footing, picking up the rocket launcher in front of her.

"Private! You've got the launcher so you gotta take out that armor!"

"B-but I don't know how to use it!" She cried out scared half to death. I had thought watching her close friend die and the carnage of the Waterfall Nation campaign would be her baptism of fire, but I was wrong. This was her real test as a soldier of the Leaf Army.

"Yes you can. I know you can private! Is there a rocket already loaded in there?" She inspected the tube and looked at me nodding. "Ok good, Kankuro, with me. We're gonna get this fucking thing!" We ran right up to where she was and led her towards the best vantage point we could see. "Everyone else cover us while we get the shot off. Ok private, this is your moment. Can you lift that thing?" She nodded again.

"You know how to aim with it?" Kankuro asked. She shook her head nervously. "Ok here's a quick lesson. Hold it steady on your shoulders, aim down the sight, and gently squeeze the trigger. You have one chance and we'll do what we can to help. I've got one round left so I'll fire the first shot from the other side ok?"

"I, I got it."

"Good luck kid." He ran off to get to the far side of the building as the bullets were flying all around. About ten seconds later as we poured fire out of the windows his rocket flew past and slammed the back end of the tank but it could still fire as it did and hit the nearby corner of the building we were in previously.

"Ok kid now's your chance! Aim true and fire!" She struggled to hold it steady as a rifle round ripped right over her head slicing some of her hairs off.

"C'mon kid what're you waiting for?" Ayako whined.

"Shut up Ayako! You can do this private...just focus." Another round nearly smacked me in the shoulder had I not ducked. "Get it in the sights...and fire!"

She squeezed the trigger as her eyes closed and the rocket launched. With luck and perhaps divine intervention it hit home and smacked the damn thing right near the turret, knocking it completely off.

"Holy shit private! You did it!" Toyama screamed in delight.

"Nice work private...I knew you could do it." Sakura patted her on the back. An explosion rocked the stairwell to our floor. "Oh hell...looks like we've got company inside now!"

"Naruto, Sakura, Toyama...hold the entry from any Sound attacks! Hinata get Tenten into safe cover and watch over her. The rest of you help me in stopping any more from getting in!"

"I'd stay back from the door if I were you. Rigged something nice and pretty for them down below."

"There's more comin' in!" We couldn't completely stem the tide of soldiers as more and more poured in and with no Leaf units in near sight.

"Damn it! Sakura, you better have some good traps laid out for them because I hear 'em coming!"

"Wait for it…I'd hold on to and get behind something if I were you" She put her hand up, "Wait for it…and…" A loud click followed by an earth shattering shockwave and an eruption of dust and debris. Screams and shouts rang through the stairwell as Sakura's mine ripped through the first assault unit. It was really risky of her to use her mine but we had no other option. Unfortunately it also ruined our barricade.

"Naruto! NOW!" Slapping a fresh magazine into his rifle he ran towards the entrance and poured all twenty bullets into it, stopping the initial assault dead. My scope was worthless at close range so I aimed with the naked eye at a stunned Soundie. Aimed for the heart, but hit her midsection instead. The stairwell was already littered with Sound bodies and limbs and we intended to pile it higher. Hinata in a brief moment of courage emptied her magazine on a four-man team rushing up. "Hinata I appreciate the help, but you need to go back to Tenten."

"But I…"

"Do it, that's an order." She understood and ran back where Tenten was sitting, still out cold.

"Shikamaru! They're coming from the rooftop!" Temari screamed as she let off another round.

Son of a bitch! They just don't wanna leave us alone! "Cut 'em down! Do not let them get through!"

"I have something for that! Good thing I know what I'm doing with these!" Sakura took apart a demolition pack of TNT and separated the fuses. She then showed off the lighter she must've swiped from Sasuke. "Took it from him while he was asleep…won't be smokin' without this right?"

"You're like the woman with the bottomless pockets." Naruto noted.

"Heh, we engineers are like that." Covering herself behind a wall she lit the TNT fuse. "Special delivery!" Wasting no time she tossed t right into the rooftop entrance they were jumping from.

"Everyone take cover!" The Soundies saw the dynamite and ran like hell as well. When it went off it was like a volcano erupting. I swore our eardrums were going to bleed after that. The entire access from their roof to ours collapsed and spewed chunks of stone all over. Sakura just snickered from the sheer devastation, and she used to be such a soft-spoken and caring soul.

"Ho...ly…shit!" Kankuro muttered from the dynamite's aftermath. When Sakura said it'd go boom, it went boom and then some.

"That'll show 'em." Sakura grinned. Then crimson shot from her calf and a surprised gasp came out followed by a yelp of pain. "AHHH! Fuck! I'm hit!" She hit the floor and struggled to rest herself up against a slab of what was a wall, safe from the windows and stray bullets.

"Hinata! Tend to Sakura! I'll help the rest hold them off!" I ran to where Kankuro, Temari, and Naruto were still shooting from the side of the roof that Sakura helped destroy. Ayako, Moegi, and the others were scattered fending off the Sound assault. Amidst the smoke the Sound soldiers emerged from another spot we didn't see and attacked. Their shots were off kilter as one struck Kankuro in the arm and the rest missed. We fired back killing some of them but one landed right on top of Naruto as another tackled me to the floor. I caught the face of the man, or should I say what I thought was his face, covered in bandage tape, save for his left eye. His semi-muffled yells of hatred filled the room as we fought back and forth in the pantry area, neither one of us gaining the upper hand. We continued to spew obscenities at each other like enemies would have while grappling for what felt like an hour but was actually only a few minutes. He shoved me against the wall which robbed me of my grip on him. Taking the opportunity he had, he reached for his knife and thrust it straight at me. I dodged it by just a hair as it scraped the wallpaper, but he was quick and slashed right at me, cutting my uniform and even a little of my chest. The pain was sharp and intense. I thrust my fist into his stomach and threw him to the ground, knocking the knife from his hand. Outside I heard the screaming of my friends as Naruto sounded like he got wounded along with possibly Ayako.

"Suck on this you pricks!" Toyama screamed as I heard the plunk of a grenade moments before its explosion. "Fuck! They're everywhere!"

"Keep fighting! Shikamaru? Shikamaru?!" Temari screamed trying to find me but I could do nothing. Damn it all! This is not how I envisioned it to go. Explosions and heavier gunfire erupted all over the house. Something blew a section of the wall next to the room I was in, causing me to lose my balance. My jaw ached and my head throbbed as he laid into me despite my retaliatory blows. Reaching for his knife he lifted it high into the air and screamed something along the lines of "Die!" he was ready to land the killing strike.

"TEMARI!" I screamed out thinking of only her in my last moment, closing my eyes waiting for the blade.

"NARA!" A sudden staccato burp of gunfire erupted in the room. I feebly opened my eyes to see blood staining the man's uniform as he still tried to stick the blade in me. Fighting his efforts, I reached for my pistol unloaded a round into the man's stomach. He fell over like a sack of bricks as I blacked out.

"Nara...Nara wake up!" The cool, refreshing feel of the water sparked a flurry of impulses in my brain. Everything was blurry but the voice was immediately recognizable. I weakly laughed at the fact I was still alive after all that. Sure there was still fighting outside but it sounded like it was now in the distance instead of where I was. How long was I out for?

"S-S-Sarutobi?"

"I think that's still sergeant to you Nara." I could tell it was him from the tobacco scent he carried. "What in the fuck happened here Nara?"

"Is...is everyone all right?"

"The squad's fine Nara. Yamanaka was wounded in the rocket attack but she'll be all right. We got out of that rocket attack relatively unhurt save for some unfortunate losses. Glad to see Toyama and you are ok. 2nd Platoon is staying put while King and Charlie Companies mop up the Sound."

"Shikamaru!" Temari came rushing to my aid holding my head up and resting it on her lap.

"Hey...good to see that stubborn woman crap is useful in a fight after all." I wish I could've moved so that I didn't look so weak in front of her but my body refused to budge. Troublesome.

"Good to see you're still a lazy asshole Shikamaru." She smiled. I could've swore I saw a tear emerge. "We did it Shikamaru...we beat them back."

"Is everyone ok?"

"Ayako's hurt pretty badly along with Kankuro, but we got them out in time thanks to Sergeant Sarutobi. You did it Shikamaru. You took a ragtag squad through the enemy and not a single one of us died."

"Ha...looks like things worked out after all huh?"

"An ersatz squad leader huh Nara? You're gonna have to tell me more about this later. For right now, let the others take care of the Sound for a change. You've done more than we could've asked from you already anyway."

"Good...good...I think I'm going to take a nap...think I deserve it." And with that I was out.


	31. Chapter 31

Despite the battle outside my escapade as a squad leader had exhausted me mentally and physically and after nodding off I didn

Despite the battle outside my escapade as a squad leader had exhausted me mentally and physically and after nodding off I didn't wake up for another hour or two. The last thing I heard before I dozed off was Sarutobi and Mitarashi ordering a perimeter be set up, completely freeing me of any responsibility. The assault on Kusagakure was essentially a success. A surprise attack by another Sound armor group gave the Leaf Army some temporary grief but our air superiority mitigated that. Save for a few cuts, scrapes, and bruises I was pretty much ok. Naruto, Sakura and Kankuro suffered some nasty wounds and were sent back to the triage area set up near the initial breach zone along with Moegi and Ayako. It was a good thing Sasuke wasn't around the area otherwise he'd be livid to hear of what happened to Sakura under my watch. Of course I breathed easy knowing Sarutobi would be there to back me up. I awoke feeling more refreshed than I have been for a long time. Turning to my right I noticed Temari about five feet away who apparently fell victim to my aura of sloth as her eyes were closed and her body resting. I let out a faint smirk watching her disheveled albeit pretty self lay there in slumber. The rest of the squad was about with Choji right at the window with his MG positioned and the rookies talking to the sergeant while he grunted out more orders. The place was still littered with dropped weapons, cracking walls, dust, splintered wood, and bullet holes as numerous as the eye could see. Choji turned to see me awake.

"Hey! Looks who's up...the big bad squad leader!"

"Ugh. You mean former big bad squad leader." I pulled my arms back to stretch and could feel the multitude of bones cracking. Despite my rest my body still felt awful. The cuts still stung like beestings and those bruises I got on my legs made my muscles feel like limp noodles. Despite my best efforts…oh who was I kidding I made no effort at all to get up. My body hurt too much for that.

"Stay down Shikamaru. Sarutobi said you deserve that rest. Hell I figured knowing you you'd stay that way for eternity."

"Story of my life Choji. Hey how's Ino doin'?" I slurred out still sleepy.

"Oh…" He blushed for a second, "well she's, she's doin' all right. Took some shrapnel in her body but the docs got it out and luckily nothing got in too deep. Those rockets were scary as hell Shikamaru, like that town we were in before that tank battle. It's a miracle that only so few in the platoon died. Some of the newbies didn't make it but ours were ok thanks to Sarutobi. I tell ya Shikamaru I wouldn't know what we'd do without him."

That last sentence produced a slight jump in my heart. "Neither would I Choji, neither would I."

"Damn I am starving! Lugging this gun around especially after all that was murder!"

"You got a one-track mind no matter how much you try to hide it ya know that Choji?" He laughed as I fumbled weakly for a piece of my rations, something that wasn't crushed or crumpled. "Here buddy…catch." With all the strength I could muster I tossed him some relatively intact biscuits.

"Thanks man. Glad you're my buddy." He graciously accepted them and nibbled on them, a contrast to his usual swallow in one bite habit. Afterwards he turned to man his machine gun, the sounds of gunfire and explosions getting slightly softer as the other units must've been pushing the Sound even deeper. "Hey Shikamaru, go back to getting some shuteye. Besides, I want you up and at 'em when you tell us all about your first crack at leadership with her. So get some rest, you two need it." He said as he pointed to the still-sleeping Temari.

I nodded though he didn't see. "Yeah," I chuckled, "you're right. See ya in another hour or so buddy."

I dreamt I was back home in the fields of the deer farm meandering through the emerald grass without a care in the world. I was back in my normal clothing, free of my uniform, my equipment, my Springfield. The trees creaked with its leaves rustling against the gentle wind blowing through. The wooden fences creaked with the stress of many years facing the elements, but still the wood stayed strong and firm. My father had built this place for my mother after the Great War and I was to have it when he passed on. Leaning up against the fence I observed the casual movements of the deer who stopped to glance at me or nibble on the vegetation every few seconds. I held out some roughage for the deer and a lone buck came up to take a bite. The deer we raised knew us by sight and smell and were rarely if ever afraid of us.

"Hey buddy," I said gently touching its horns, "how's the day treating you?" Of course I knew he couldn't speak but I felt a slight sense of what he was feeling. It was a carefree and calm mood, something I wished I could have every waking moment of my life. A lighter colored doe came up and also partook of the food I had. Afterwards she nuzzled herself on the buck which turned away for a second but then accepted the affection. Rarely have I seen a display like that but it was interesting to watch. "You got yourself a troublesome female eh? Lucky you..."

"Touching..." A hand, soft yet strong at the same time, ran through my scalp. My body quivered for a moment. "Kind of reminds me of a certain someone..."

"Temari."

"Beautiful day isn't it?"

"It sure is." I answered staring up into the sky.

"You and those clouds of yours. I swear if you really wanted to you'd transform into one huh?"

"I wish."

"And if wishes were horses, beggars would ride Shikamaru."

"Always on my case troublesome woman...I remember back in the day a woman would be respectful."

"Cut it out with that man and woman crap...it gets old after a while lover boy." She whispered softly into my ear unleashing a torrent of synapses into my brain. The soft and seductive voice ticked my eardrum and sent shivers through my body. I turned to see her and to my surprise she was sans uniform as I was. Gone was the beige Sand military outfit along with her rifle and the worn and dirty marks on her face. Instead her hair shone like golden wheat and her face was as delicate as a baby's. Her dingy uniform was replaced with a simple but pretty dress, light blue and soft to the touch. It conformed almost perfectly to her curvaceous frame and left little to the imagination. Her hair was tied in her typical four places but it had definition and grace, not to say it didn't have those things before but this time it was almost surreal.

"Temari...you look...stunning!"

"Gotta be for a pain in the ass man like you."

"So...what brings you here?" I asked. Strangely enough the sky had already turned darker as if the sun and Earth were moving quicker than normal. Suddenly I found myself next to a large oak tree with the sun setting into a beautiful orange hue mixing with the darkened clouds to form an almost perfect atmosphere. My hand was gripped with the delicate touch of the Sand woman while her other hand stroked my hair.

"Makes you wish this could last forever doesn't it? Knowing you it'd be a dream come true to just lay here and watch the sky forever."

"Still didn't answer my question Temari. It's odd I find you here in my ranch and what has happened to everyone else? How did you get here anyway and what are you talking about?"

"This Shikamaru…" She grabbed my head and thrust it into her lips. With the scent of lust she was ferocious in her embrace, taking me down to the ground before running her hands all over my body. There was little I could do to resist but then again it would've required effort I didn't want to use. "I want you Shikamaru. I want you right now." Sure she didn't always sound like this but it was a dream.

"You always do…"

In a flash I found her on top of me without a lick of clothing, her soft body pressing up against mine in a tight embrace like we had just finished making love. Oh God damn it! My dream just had to skip right past the good part! Sometimes I hate my mind, I really do. Her arms wrapped around my shoulders with her legs and feet pressed right against mine, her eyes were closed as if she was asleep. I could feel the warmth of her breath on my body and the silkiness of her hair on my face and chest. It felt like a dream in a dream. The sky was a surreal orange and red with the sun just over the horizon and the clouds a dark grey.

"Shikamaru…" She muttered softly as she kissed my chest, "I love you."

"I…I love you too Temari."

"I'm sorry I have to go home now. I'm so sorry we couldn't stay here together." When I opened my eyes she was starting to fade out, the warmth from her naked body fading away.

"Temari? Temari what's going on?"

"We're of two different lands…it was never going to work out…I'm sorry…"

"Wait…stay here! Stay damn it! Wait!" I woke up with my heart slightly on edge. The weight of Temari's arm pressed itself on my chest as Choji was still there manning his gun with Nazuka right behind him. She was still asleep and seemed to have rolled herself over to where I was sleeping. I wonder how long I was out for again.

"Nara! Glad to see you're up before I had to give ya the ol' rise and shine." The ever lovely voice of Sarutobi greeted me as I turned towards the hallway. "You've been out for another two hours. How're the legs?"

"Still feeling like someone applied a hammer to them sergeant."

"Typical whining Corporal Nara. Anyway enough of your melodrama…I wanna talk to you and I think you know why." And he did all right, as troublesome as it was going to be talking about it. "So say see ya later to your gal pal and get over here." Leave it to Sarutobi to play the world's smallest violin when you're hurtin'. Carefully pushing Temari off, I limped to Sarutobi in agony. There he was like some sort of fucking cop just staring at me with the intent to interrogate. He was about as giddy as Ino's cheerleading antics back in high school or when she used to flirt with Sasuke over the phone. Talk about a pain in the ass.

"Sergeant." I muttered softly.

"Sit down Nara, lemme get a good look at ya." I grimaced in pain trying to set myself down again. Sarutobi clearly didn't care. "Damn son, you got beat the hell up. I hope that rest helped you out some."

"Not really sergeant."

"Typical answer Nara, but you're honest. Cigarette?"

"Not this time sergeant. I don't like smoking."

"More for me then." He chuckled. "So, Corporal Nara, or should I say, 'Squad Leader Nara'…" I rolled my eyes and sighed as he lit up his cigarette, "hey don't gimme that look Nara!"

"Meh."

"Yeah I know you're tired but you're gonna talk. Now tell me, how'd a lazy sum'bitch like you end up leading a squad with the likes of those people?"

"Do I really gotta explain this?"

"Yes...yes you do."

"All right then, it happened when the Soundies smoked us and then tried taking us out with those Screaming Mimis. Temari, Toyama, Naruto, and I got the hell out ASAP and fled to the nearest building. Turns out there were some guests from other squads including Corporal Haruno. They elected me as squad leader..."

"HO! There's a real shocker!"

Sometimes Sarutobi would be like that and we'd bond as if we were peers instead of mentor and student. "Well anyway. The whole time I was just trying to not get shot while keepin' the rest of those clowns alive and trying to get back to you."

"Awwwww I'm touched ya missed me so much Nara."

"Well anyway he went from room to room fighting the Soundies at every turn. I tried splitting the 'squad' into two teams, one led by me and one led by Corporal Haruno and breached through team by team. Sometimes it took all of us to fight 'em. It was such a pain given all the mortars and rockets they had. We got hammered hard but the worst of it was a lot of cuts, bruises, and PFC Tenten being unconscious. If there was a tank around we'd all be dead. Things only got worse as we fled increasing Sound fire and holed up on the very floor we sit on. Honestly they were pouring in from everywhere and it was a miracle none of us died."

"Well I must say Nara I am impressed. You fended off squads of Sound soldiers, a PAK 40, and a God damn StuG. That's the type of shit they give out medals for."

"Tch. Let Uzumaki or Haruno shine in the medals, shit's too troublesome for me. I just wanted to live."

"Actually judging by what the others told me you weren't just being survivalist Nara. You were actually leading, especially that young girl my nephew is friends with. The Sand rocket guy told me you helped her get across when she was scared and even got her to muster enough grit to use a Bazooka on that StuG. That's some real skill there Nara. What have I been telling you?"

"Something that's a total drag to me? I dunno, I give up."

He sighed. "I'm talkin' about that potential Nara." Shit...I knew he'd babble something about that. "Do you realize what in the hell you just did? Do you? You took a squad, a fucking ragtag squad of all sorts of young soldiers including two Sand fighters, and you led them through the clusterfuck the Soundies made. The most startling part is how none of them died Nara...under you none of them died, not even that reckless numbskull Uzumaki! What does that say Nara?"

"I don't wanna talk about this sergeant..."

"You were born for this Nara. You say you were just trying to save your own skin but that's bullshit. You cared about each and every one of them and you had the strength and luck to get all of you out alive with of course some help from yours truly."

"Thanks again sergeant." I hinted at sarcasm but I didn't think he picked it up.

"No sweat. Besides, wouldn't want you to die before you became sergeant right? And not just for me...there's also her."

"Oh come on..."

"Come on nothing! You'd go through hell and high water for her and you know it, as much as it pains you on the inside and out."

"Why do you always bring her up sergeant?" Now I was starting to get confrontational. "It's really not your business in the slightest." That certainly got a spark in his eyes. I immediately regretted saying that.

"Excuse me corporal? I hope you didn't mean that." Before I could get a word out his stare paralyzed me as he got up. "You keep blowing me off with lip like that but the more you do the more life is coming to bite you in the ass. This little ditty you just survived was by the grace of God a sign Nara. God I hope you're ready. Wake your girlfriend up. We're leaving in fifteen minutes." He looked at me again and huffed. "Just 'cause I'm upset with your tone doesn't mean I'm still proud of you Nara. You're one of the best soldiers I've ever had even if you're not going to admit it. I do have something to ask of you."

"What's that sergeant?"

"If I should ever go down," a lump formed in my throat, "I want you taking command. Hearing you perform like you did under such duress just made my decision final."

"Don't say shit like that sergeant. You know that's a total drag on any happy I could muster."

"I'm serious Nara. Like I told you back in the Waterfall Nation, a lot of things could happen in this war and you gotta be ready for them. You didn't want to think about having to guide and protect your squadmates and Temari but it happened didn't it? Sometimes you can't control what happens in your life but you make do to preserve what you've got. Remember what I said Nara."

"Feh. You're too stubborn and tough to die sergeant. I needn't worry." He didn't reply as he stomped on his cigarette and walked off, leaving me to struggle getting back up. I get up from a weird dream and have to face another lecture from Sarutobi. What did I do to life to make it so pissed off at me? Limping over to the still slumbering Temari, I had to be careful waking her up. One wrong move and it could mean curtains for me or my manhood. Choji and the others must've slipped out while I was talking to Sarutobi. "Temari? Temari…time to get up. Sarutobi wants us up."

"Gnnnnn…Shikamaru?" Her eyes opened slowly at me. "What time is it? How long have I been out?"

"No idea. You went to sleep after I did. What I can tell you is that it's 6PM and Sarutobi wants us up and out of this building."

"Hmmm..." she cracked her back and neck, "about time I say. Had enough action in here to last me a week. I sure hope your comrades got the rest of the Sound."

"Oh I'm sure they did and the farther away I'm from it the better."

"Hey you two! Sergeant wants your rears in gear pronto!" Choji yelled from the down below. "The hell is takin' ya so long buddy? You two having a moment?"

"And he's your best friend right?" Temari whispered to me.

"Since I was a kid...wouldn't trade him for the world no matter how tiresome he can be." I replied with a light chuckle.

"I could say the same about Kankuro." She smirked but I caught slight twinge of pain as she thought about Gaara for a second as did I. I had to break the silence as bothersome as it was.

"Well, I guess we should get going. Sarutobi is a real pain when he's all agitated."

She hoisted herself up and brushed her sleeves, small clouds of brown and black dust exploding off her clothing and gently settling to the floor. I turned towards the blown out section that Sakura's explosives caused that ever so conveniently turned itself to a makeshift ramp. However, something was crawling in the back of my head as I turned from Temari. As she walked right past me to where I was about five feet behind, I had to ask her something.

"Temari..."

She stopped and turned to me with an interested look. "Yeah Shikamaru?"

"That night...ya know the one when we rescued those people from the labor camp?"

"Yeah what about it?"

"Well...I'm talking more about what happened after the fight."

"Wait...oh you mean that. What about it and why does it all of a sudden pique your interest?"

"I was curious Temari. Why did you come in like that and how did we end up doing what we did?"

"Something wrong with that Shikamaru?" She asked almost offended by my inquiry.

"Oh no...nothing at all. I was just wondering. It was something I've been dwelling on for a while since it kinda led to this and then some. I wanted to know what was going through your head when that night went down the way it did."

"Hmmm..." Her face turned to a pensive one, "to be honest Shikamaru, it was more of an emotional thing at the time than mental. It was a scary situation nearly dying after freeing those people. You had kissed me before the fight and to be honest I had no idea why."

"You're telling me..." I said beating myself up mentally.

"But then we were under attack trying to flee. I nearly fell off that truck and would've died, but you saved me Shikamaru. If it was anyone else there would be a good chance I wouldn't be here right now, but it was you Shikamaru Nara. Such an act told me why you kissed me even if you hated yourself for it later. You cared for me that much that you nearly fell off that truck yourself trying to save me. It affirmed what I had believed, that perhaps there was something between us that we couldn't have comprehended before. You disappeared when we got back to the village and I went looking for you and found you ready to sleep. When I saw you I couldn't say a word but...but I wanted to show you how I felt, how grateful I was that you saved me, and that for the first time in my life I had truly fallen in love with a man no matter how much of a pain in the ass he was and is."

"Pain in the ass huh? I guess I am your pain in the ass, but only because you're my pain in the ass."

She walked up and ran her hand down my cheek and gently rubbed my jaw. "Lazy but lovable man."

"Bossy, tiresome woman." I smirked at her as she reached in and pecked me on the lips. I wasn't gonna complain this time even if the dame was real difficult to deal with.

"NARA! What the fuck? Get your ass down here!" Sarutobi screamed.

"Crap...he's pissed now. Let's make tracks." We clambered down as fast as we could to meet the gaze of an impatient sergeant and company. "Um...sergeant?"

"Just because I let you get some decent rest after your ordeal doesn't mean you have the special privilege of holding me, the squad, and the platoon up you got that Nara?"

I wasn't sure as to why he was so pissed at me but I shrugged it off and gave him the typical response. "Yes sergeant...won't happen again." Does he think I blew him off completely before? I didn't want to ask him but I remember him saying he was upset but still proud. I guess he was looking for me to stomach his request when honestly it is still the last thing I ever want and I can bet my bottom dollar that the rest of the squad thinks in agreement. I'd have to talk to him later about it.

"So sarge where are we off to now?" Sugiyama enthusiastically inquired.

"Aren't you peppy there private?" He laughed lightly in between cigarette puffs.

"Always fixin' to get at the Sound sergeant."

"You got spirit private I'll give you that. Well we're on cleanup right now trying to flush out any resistance in our area. The fight is almost over but these guys are sneaky. Anyone want a cigarette before we get goin'?"

"Yeah I'll have one sergeant." Nazuka snatched one right out of Sarutobi's inviting hand. The sergeant was kind enough to let him use his lighter.

"Can I have one too sergeant?" Nakamura asked.

"Sure." He gave him another one of his cigs and lit it for him. "Any other takers?" Silence. "All right then. Guess that's it. We're heading to the triage center 3rd...Yamanaka and Toyama should be there so provided they're good to go we'll be pickin' 'em up and back into the streets patrolling for the Sound all right?"

The center was alive with the agony of the wounded and the sheer numbers of them not only from our platoon but from other companies as well. Hinata, despite the superficial damage she took, was scrambling around to help as many as possible including Sakura, Ayako, and Kankuro. Naruto was up and at 'em assisting her in any way possible. Knowing his tendency to be overeager but clumsy she had him doing some menial tasks or simple triage duties. He was too oblivious to be offended, especially towards Hinata.

"Ch-Choji! Shikamaru...g-good to see you aga-again." Her stuttering was up again but given the hard work she had to do we understood.

"Private, perhaps you could tell us were Private Toyama is?"

"S-sure ss-s-sergeant, he's about two rows down, n-near Private T-T-Tenten."

"Thanks private...ya know you need to work on that stutter, build up some confidence or something."

"Uh, yes sergeant, I-I'll do what I c-can." The sergeant's advice had good intentions but she might've interpreted it as a cutting remark. I turned to Hinata and softly spoke to her out of earshot of Sarutobi.

"No worries Hinata. He didn't say it like you might think he did."

"Oh...ok..." She nodded as Naruto wrapped his arm around her. His amicable gesture helped lighten the mood given her building stress.

"Hey squad leader..." Did I not tell him I didn't want to be called that? Oh wait...I didn't.

"Ugh...that name again. For future reference how about just Shikamaru?"

"How about 'Sure Shot?' Choji made that name stick well."

"How about no?"

"How about you're being a whiny pain in the ass especially in front of your girlfriend?" Now he was just getting annoying.

I was about to raise my voice but I stopped short. "Well given how troublesome you're being right now, I don't think another second in this conversation is worth it. Good day sir." I turned to where Sarutobi was walking down with Sugiyama and the rest.

"Oh come on Shikamaru ya big baby! Well at least get a load of Temari's brother if you're lookin' for a good laugh."

"Why what's he doin'?" Temari inquired.

He snickered with a shit-eating grin. "Have a look for yourself." He pointed off to where Kankuro was standing, barely, in vigil of a still unconscious Tenten. His means of support was resting himself on the tube of his Panzerschreck while the bandages covered parts of his body, dried blood already browning from exposure to the outside elements.

"Well will ya look at that?" Choji asked aloud as I agreed. I gave Temari a nudge for her to look right where we were.

"Oh man..." She groaned rolling her eyes. "Kankuro..."

"And they called it...puppy love..." Choji started singing perhaps unaware that every word he sang just irked Temari more and more. If you looked close enough as Choji and I smiled at the whole spectacle, a small vein emerged on Temari's forehead.

"Keeping the vigil Kankuro?" I asked rather nonchalantly to the limping rocket soldier.

"Huh? Oh...yeah I guess you could say I was. Wanna see if she's gonna get up at all. I still need someone to compete against."

"Thinking with your ego Kankuro, that's a real shocker...kinda like how Shikamaru only thinks with his sense of self-preservation."

"Ow Temari, right through the heart." I patted my chest with a sarcastic whine. "But back to the main point, how's she doing?" Normally I wouldn't care as much given how my relations with half of the platoon is still cold, but since she was under my command I wanted to make sure she was at least amongst the living let alone in one piece.

"Alive thank God after that ordeal. That blast must've knocked her out good. Pain in the ass it was trying to get her down from the building with her Bazooka." Looking at her, despite the bandaged cuts and the bruise or two along her arm, gave me inner comfort knowing that's the worst she suffered. Docs say she should be fit as a fiddle once she comes to. Like I said before, gotta still have someone to keep me on my toes as the top armor slayer." He huffed arrogantly.

I, and most likely a few others, saw beyond the facade and knew that Temari's brother had developed a little bit of a crush on the tomboy rocket launcher-wielding Tenten. Choji said he was definitely good for Tenten, especially after the sad death of Neji Hyuga back on Hill #404. After that battle she was horribly distraught along with so many of us, Hinata, Naruto, Temari, and I included. Kankuro did her best to restore her spirits and at first it failed miserably but over the period of Fox Company's recovery she started returning to her normal self, a laugh or two coming from his antics and pranks on Temari, a smile when he sat by her and gave her a story or a joke. She hadn't really verbally shown any return signs per se, but even someone like Ino could deduce that she might've been warming up to the Sand fighter. If I actually bothered to be the eavesdropping type like my dear comrades Ino or Sakura, I'd be more intrigued with their situation but I'll let Temari and the rest blab on about that.

"Well don't burst a blood vessel worrying too much Kankuro. You're usually too much of an idiot to hurt yourself mentally like that."

"Ouch. Aren't we the bitchy one Temari? Time of the month again or something?"

Temari had enough as she reached in and slugged him causing him to lose balance and nearly knock Tenten over had he not stopped himself in time. "What the fuck Temari?! You almost made me knock her over!" She just huffed and stormed away leaving me slightly confused. "Yep...time of the month." He whispered.

"Now what was that all about?"

"Like I said Shikamaru, Temari had buttons that when pressed at the right time can send her into a real pissy mood. Have fun with her for the rest of the day pal."

"Oh jeez...thanks." I sneered at him. That son of a bitch got her all riled up just for me to deal with...jerk.

"You're very welcome, now scram. Methinks your sergeant wants you with him."

"Tch. Whatever you say...pal." He certainly wasn't subtle in his request for alone time with Tenten. I would've been too agitating to try and confront him but I already had one ornery demon, or demoness should I say, to contend with. The afternoon sun was already setting its course down to the horizon as the shadows moved minute by minute across the broken cobblestone streets and dirt alleyways. The platoon had formed up again to go on patrol past the areas that I had just fought in. Ino and Toyama were in just as much pain as me and were limping along. Shit at least I wasn't alone in my malaise. Walking towards us was a whole procession of Sound POWs who bore blank and defeated looks on their faces as they walked past us, the MPs herding them along throwing out orders.

"C'mon Soundies...keep it moving."

"Hey you! Keep those hands behind your head!"

"Jesus Christ Shiro...this one's just a kid, gotta be no older than eighteen!"

"Hey watch this..." One of the more immature looking MPs found it entertaining to start poking one of the young Soundies in the back of the knees with his rifle. The poor kid buckled again and again but did his best to not fight back and stay in balance. "What's the matter buddy? Got a little problem walkin'?" He continued to prod him. "And what're you lookin' at?" Another POW got a blow from the man's rifle causing him to stagger and nearly fall.

"C'mon Satoru...cut it out before the sarge sees us."

"Sergeant..." Ino muttered to Sarutobi who continued to just walk past it.

"Nah I'm havin' too much fun. Isn't that right ya little fucker?" The jabs got more and more aggressive until the kid fell over and knocked down another Sound POW. "Now look what ya did ya little shit!" Ino gasped as he kicked the kid in the stomach twice and our squad stopped.

"What're you grunts lookin' at? Ain't none of your damn business anymore, especially you Sand fighters. Keep walkin'." Some cocky corporal said to me and Temari as we watched the whole thing.

"Now get up!" The poor kid struggled. "I said get up!" As the MP raised his weapon to smack him, Sarutobi stepped in and grabbed the rifle. As the private turned he clocked the guy right in the jaw and knocked him flat on his ass.

"What the...? What the fuck was that for?" The young private must not have known it was Sarutobi staring right down at him.

"How about you get up private?" The guy turned to see the sergeant towering over him. His lips trembled as he tried to get a word out but couldn't as Sarutobi grabbed his neck, hoisted him up, and laid him flat on his ass again. "I said get up private! You get your rocks off kicking defenseless POWs so how's about a taste of your own medicine?" A hard boot to the man's hip had him yelping in pain.

"Hey stop that right now!" Another MP came to restrain Sarutobi but that was a foolish idea as the man's punch was deflected and returned to him courtesy of the sergeant's haymaker. Soon enough two more MPs broke formation to restrain the sergeant. The prisoners just stopped and stared in awe as our own sergeant, their enemy, had just struck one of his own comrades in defense of a prisoner of war. I'm sure they understood that even human dignity didn't know rank or allegiance or nationality. The MPs too smart to join the fight kept them at bay but even if they did run off they wouldn't be going very far that's for certain. Time seemed like it froze as Sarutobi braced himself for the soldiers running right at him, most likely starting what would be a grand old fight, and all with people on the same team no less.

"Oh crap...Choji..." I sighed.

"C'mon we gotta help the sergeant. Nazuka stick with me."

"Nice..." He grinned as the two of them charged the group of soldiers attempting to take down the sergeant. Nakamura and the always eager Sugiyama rushed in soon afterwards jumping into the fray. Choji dropped his weapon and tackled one about to strike Sarutobi while Nazuka launched himself into another. The crowd roared with the prospect of a grand battle royal. Asano quietly slinked behind Ino and Toyama who were in no shape to fight again.

"Oh God damn it..." I muttered to Temari. "You and I stay put all right?"

"What's the matter crybaby? Yer legs still feel like noodles or are ya just being lazy?" She taunted me as she too ran into the fracas.

"Unbelievable woman..." Scoffing at the spectacle of it all, I begrudgingly joined in as I shoved an MP off of Choji while he took the same guy and slugged him in the stomach. Temari got the best of another one of them and kneed the woman in the gut before hammering her to the ground. A few more MPs sprawled out of hiding and now it was turning into an ugly melee as Sergeant Mitarashi felt like bringing her squad into the thick of it.

"Hot damn Asuma! Got me some entertainment did ya? I was getting bored!" The cocky woman yelled to Sarutobi as she elbowed a guy in the chest who was just about to club my sergeant.

"Cute to know..." he stopped short as he threw a charging corporal in the air, "that I'm your provider of sport Anko. You do," another private charged in landing a blow to Sarutobi's chest but only getting punched right across the face in retaliation, "realize you're going to be in deep shit too right?"

"Whatever...AHHH!" An MP scored a lucky hit to the side of her face. "You son of a bitch! You hit my face!" With a mighty swing of her leg the man was down on his side before she climbed on top and sealed his fate. It's been a while since we saw the wrathful nature of Sergeant Mitarashi. It scared Temari and would even startle my mother. Two broken squads against almost a whole platoon of military police, just another fucking perfect story to add to my experiences here in Kusagakure.

"Shikamaru watch out!" Temari yelled as she slugged an attacker charging right at me as I clocked the man right off his feet. She turned and winked. "That's three favors you already owe me."

"Wait wha? Three? Favors?! I thought you were all pissed at me?" A hard thud was felt at my side as a lucky tackle forced me to the ground. Before the woman could land a blow on me Temari stepped in and threw her off. Once again that devil woman smirked at me while extending her hand to help me up.

"See letting her tackle you was me getting some payback. Now you owe me four and may...OOOMPHH!" That same woman hit her in the side with a wooden board she must've found and was aiming for a swing to the face but despite Temari's arrogance I begrudgingly got up and grabbed the board from the assailant and got her in a full nelson.

"All yours Temari. Better notch it down to three." She smiled as she wiped a small trickle of blood from her mouth. A firm gut punch was all it needed to incapacitate the MP as I let her crumple to the ground.

"Fine...three it is..." She spat right at the downed MP. "Fucker..."

"Subtle as a rhino Temari." I sarcastically uttered as we braced for another attack. However the fight was over as Lee stepped in with Morino and were pulling soldiers off while the MP platoon leader was doing the same thing.

"That's enough! Cease this crap right now!" The LT yelled at her men and women, who froze on sight as her burly platoon sergeant, a man almost the size of a bear, began yanking more of his soldiers off of ours. The prisoners just stared with us in awe of the giant who stood in stark contrast to the wiry but fierce-looking officer. "Now," the young girl continued to yell, "who in the hell is responsible for this?"

"Ma'am," Sarutobi stepped to the plate as he wriggled free of an MP's grip and pointed to the POW agitator, "that private right there felt it entertaining to continuously abuse one of the POWs. I thought we were supposed to be on the moral high ground but I guess there's always some signs that say otherwise."

"And just who are you?"

"Staff Sergeant Asuma Sarutobi of 2nd Platoon, Fox Company..." Lee spoke before Sarutobi had the chance to, stepping in front of our sergeant and facing the brunette officer, "and I'm Second Lieutenant Rock Lee, his platoon leader. Now something your men did must've angered him because he normally does not get that aggressive unless something unjust was happening Lieutenant..."

"LT Kyomi Akiharo of 4th Platoon, Charlie Company of the 64th MP Battalion. Perhaps it'd be best if your men and women just stuck to their own business. I'll deal with Private Nakai myself but as for your soldiers, their actions are warranting some disciplinary action..."

"That I will deal with Akiharo. Perhaps if you taught your soldiers to be more upstanding like mine this whole POW abuse and subsequent fight might not have happened."

"Excuse me?"

"I believe you heard me Lieutenant. Now how about standing down and letting me deal with my soldiers who as far as I am concerned did the more humane thing?"

"Fuck you, you silly eyebrowed goofy-looking upstart!" She impulsively shoved him.

"What did you say you pretentious little snot?" His finger was jabbing right in front of her face.

She started staring down Lee as Sergeant Morino and the burly platoon sergeant of the MPs weren't exactly exchanging kind looks as well. It looked like the fight was about to get bigger until an unexpected voice interrupted.

"LEE! Lieutenant Lee what on Earth is going on?" It was LT Uzuki of the ANBU Rangers as she ran in with about two squads of her Rangers.

"Lieutenant Uzuki! I'm just defending my soldiers who tried to stick up for a POW after one of this woman's soldiers found it necessary to abuse a young boy who surrendered honorably."

"Me an' my boys come over here seeing a fuckin' slugfest over POWs and now I'm about to witness two LTs going at it? Last time I checked that is not how officers carry themselves in the Leaf Army What the hell would Captain Hatake think right now? And you Lieutenant...Akiharo, how about showing a little understanding for both sides? Perhaps if we want to look like the liberators and not a bunch of pricks we don't harass our POWs?"

Both sides looking unwilling to budge, but the Rangers had a bullshit tolerance of about zero.

"All right you want me to get Captain Hatake in on this mess? Shit he'll smoke the shit out of all of you after my Rangers pound you all for being such fuckin' assholes. Now I suggest standing down...the both of you!"

It took a minute to get through their heads as Temari and I slinked towards Sarutobi and Ino hoping to get away from the center of the aggression. Soon enough the MP lieutenant and Lee stopped their glaring and turned away from each other.

"Good. See reason can triumph over all! Lee go back to your patrolling and Akihiro, keep moving those POWs and take care of that private for his actions. If you can all be good little boys and girls, maybe I won't tell your superiors and/or beat the shit out of you all."

Lee gulped for a second in intimidation of the firebrand Ranger but acknowledged her request. "2nd Platoon, let's get out of here and stick to the patrols. Enough time has been wasted already."

"MPs, let's get moving. This is already been a fucking mess so let's not make it worse. Anyone seriously hurt go see the medics. The rest of us will pick up the slack. Move!" The embarrassed MP officer ordered as the platoon sergeant just huffed and signaled the men and women to get moving again. As Temari, Sarutobi, myself and the rest of 3rd got back into formation, I turned to see the same Sound POW who Sarutobi defended look at us, particularly the sergeant. Sarutobi happened to notice the young boy who just gave him a faint smile and a nod before he kept walking with his hands behind his head. The boy was showing our sergeant his gratitude for doing the right thing, even if it was for an enemy prisoner.

"I think he was thanking you sergeant." Ino commented.

"Yeah," he took out another cigarette since his first was ruined, "yeah I know. Sure he's the enemy but that doesn't mean we can abuse him like an animal. I did what I thought was right and I hope to never see any of you do what that soldier did in my presence. People are people be they friend or enemy, they're human beings." That statement right there earned the respect of the new squad mates and brought him up to even higher levels with the likes of Choji, Ino, and I. Ino smiled in admiration while I did the same.

"_Well said Sarutobi...well said. I wish all sergeants were like you._"

"Hey Asuma!" Sergeant Mitarashi's voice rang through the formation.

He sighed. "What is it Anko?"

"Hey next time you wanna get into another brawl lemme know beforehand! I owe ya for that good workout!"

"Whatever you say Anko." She just laughed as Lee turned to us and glared. I don't think the LT was going to punish us nor Sergeant Morino even if they were pissed for taking up their time and almost dragging them into it. They knew although we caused a ruckus especially fighting our own people, we were fighting for the right reasons. I had the slight satisfaction of knowing it was like but not like one of those Naruto moments where he'd go on a tear preaching about the right thing to do and this, that, and the other thing. The captain and first sergeant would never know and the worst one of us would get is a slap on the wrist. Not too troublesome given what just transpired.

"So...Temari, how'd ya say I did on a scale of one to ten with that scuffle?"

"Hmmm...I'd say a four or five, just a so-so job."

"Ugh. See this is why women like you bother me. Your arrogance is painful!"

"Then maybe you should take notes on how to fight." She snickered as I huffed in frustration.

"Troublesome devil woman...ya know it was because of you I put myself in that fight. Now I'm hurting even more and quit giving me that smug look! It's bothering the piss outta me!"

"Wow look at Mr. Crybaby all of a sudden. I took a shot to the side with a wooden board but ya don't see me sobbing about it." She sneered as she wiped the dried blood from her lips and washing down whatever was in her mouth with a swig of her canteen. Tough as nails that woman is...certainly someone that'd make my mother proud. During the fight she was a torrent of punches and kicks despite taking a few blows, a testament to her rough and tumble aggressiveness, certainly the opposite of my demeanor.

"You sure you all right to keep goin' sergeant?" Ino asked as she shuffled to Sarutobi. "You got a couple cuts I could bandage up or somethin'. Figures it's the least I could do for what you did."

"Nah don't worry about me Yamanaka. A famous guy once said, 'That which does not kill you only makes you stronger.' Besides, you need those supplies for more important cases." She nodded with a smile and walked right back to where Choji was lugging his .30 cal he remembered to pick up after the melee. "Sure is steamy all of a sudden ain't it? Too bad we got all this stuff we gotta wear right Choji?"

"Preachin' to the choir Ino, preachin' to the choir." Of course nothing would make Choji's day, more than a good scrap, more than a bountiful barbeque, than to see Ino dress down right in front of him. She was right though, the recent action mixed with the fires of burning buildings and vehicles along with sulfurous smoke and the afternoon sun was making it rather hot.

"Does it get hot like this in the Sand Nation Temari?"

"On a bad summer day you'd melt like a popsicle Shikamaru, only to freeze right back up 'round nighttime."

"Oh thanks for the vote of confidence in my acclimation abilities."

"Always a pleasure handsome." She once again smugly replied winking at me.

"Tch." I scoffed and moved up to where Sarutobi was. He seemed awfully quiet but then again it was never his nature to be a chatterbox. "Hey sergeant..."

"Yeah Nara what's up?"

"Not to cut you down or nothin', but why did you defend that POW anyway? I thought you hated the Sound and all. I mean, your father is the Hokage and to have a story of his son defending the enemy and all..."

"Nara, you actually know what the word integrity means?"

"Sure I do. It's doing the right thing."

"Correct, but what you didn't learn from boot camp about that word is that it means doing the right thing even if the popular consensus says it might not be. First off that POW was a kid, barely out of high school I bet. Second, if there's one thing that bothers me it's cruelty amongst our ranks, and third as I said before, sure the kid is the enemy but he's still a human being. Put yourself in that young man's shoes and stop thinking about yourself Nara. That's a lesson for you to learn when you become a leader. Sure it's easy to think in terms of 'Number One' on a daily basis, but you have to see things in the eyes of your comrades and your enemies. When you order your men and women to charge a bunker or when you're dealing with civilians or POWs, look at the situation through their eyes. Oh any officer or sergeant can crack the whip and send privates and corporals right into the fire like slaves or approve beating up a POW even after they surrendered just for kicks or revenge, but it takes a real man to think about the humanity of your soldiers and of people in general. Those people are just as scared as you or me Nara. It doesn't look it but I'm scared as hell sometimes. I worry about my girl back home, I worry about my safety, I worry about Konohamaru and most importantly I worry about everyone in my squad. When you get that third chevron Nara everything changes. It becomes more about them and how you present yourself. I'd be a no good squad leader and soldier if I had just let that abuse keep happening, but damned be the consequences and all I stood up for what was right and slugged that sum'bitch private square in the jaw."

I chucked. "You did hit him pretty good sergeant."

"Ha. Had my father seen that he'd have blown his top but let's just keep that on the DL for now huh?"

"Mum's the word sergeant." I gestured zipping my lips and throwing away the key which elicited a smile from his mouth.

He laughed heartily. "You're a good kid Nara. Sure you're still lazy and you certainly don't feel like using that potential of yours, but your heart's in the right place with a good head on your shoulders. Try takin' some lessons down once in a while and maybe I won't have to drive the point home every single time huh?"

"Sorry sergeant...it's that whole Nara thing. We don't like the whole effort thing when we don't need to expend it."

"Son of a bitch Nara...you're too much. Glad you're in my squad. Now how about getting your ass back in formation so the LT or Sergeant Morino don't get even more pissed at us?" Without a peep, I amscrayed back alongside Temari. Watching the sergeant scan the area while looking back at us occasionally and then me thinking about what he did and said to explain himself made me laugh a little on the inside. Oh Sarutobi...what in the world would we do without you in this war?

Most of the commotion heard in the distance started to fade even more as the last pockets of resistance were being weeded out or they had made the smart choice in surrendering when they could. Luckily I had never been put in that conundrum of possibly surrendering barring that one time when I was forced to be squad leader. I had contemplated it for a brief second but knowing what would happen if it were the Akatsuki that caught me instead of just the regular Sound Army schmucks, I put the kibosh on that notion. Also being with people like Naruto or Tenten knowing they'd fight to the bitter end...of course it'd be fruitless anyway. We walked past scenes of carnage and scenes of drama. We saw the demolished Nebelwerfer launchers used against us in the initial defense. We saw bodies of both Leaf and Sound scattered throughout, though the Sound dead outnumbered us a good amount thank the heavens. We saw the wounded and shell-shocked on both sides. Comrades and loved ones tried to do their best to make the ones they cared for hold onto their sanity for just a minute longer. The price of liberation...it was a hefty one no one could deny that.

It was amazing that my friends, at least the ones who still lived, could still bear a smile or tell a joke or look on the bright side of life after all of this shit got dumped on them. Perhaps I've lived too long already as a cynic at the ripe old age of twenty-four. I was once told that a young cynic was the worst type of person to be at that age, because they go from knowing nothing to believing nothing. Harsh words I know, but methinks whoever said that never got a good dose of reality once or twice in their lives even if some hard times fell on them. The second I thought of that the image of people like Naruto and Hinata popped in. People like them already had their fair share of tough luck and tough reality. Naruto was an orphan who lost his only "parent" in this country and one could already consider Hinata an orphan given her family's attitude to her speak who also lost her cousin in this war. Despite their hardships, they still kept that glimmer of hope. It was something I had to give them a lot of respect for even if Naruto was a downright clown at times and Hinata, well I could never really be antagonistic to her but I'd be a downright liar if I said she was no Tenten or Sakura. Even with their faults however, those two never gave up when a weaker person would. If those two made it out of this war in one piece, I think outside of possibly Temari I'd have a reason to believe in hope again. In the mean time however I'd have to rely on Sarutobi's guardianship and the dumb luck that seems to have accompanied me ever since I left boot camp and got fitted with 2nd Platoon, got Sarutobi, and then by the "fortune" of fate got Temari.

"Hey daydreamer!" A sharp pain rang through my head as Temari bopped me with her rifle muzzle. "In case you hadn't noticed you've been walking into me three times already with your head in the clouds thinking about God knows what."

"You have no idea Temari..."

"Let's keep it that way."

"C'mon 3rd let's keep it moving." Sarutobi said. "About another hour of this and we're done. Here's to hopin' we don't run into some Soundies."

"I'll drink to that sergeant." Choji added with enthusiasm.

"So sergeant, where to next?" Sugiyama asked. I swear the curiosity in that girl amazed me and how the sergeant was still so patient with it. I guess she wasn't a shitbag so he'd tolerate it.

"Glad you asked Sugiyama...we're headin' off to one of the courtyards, then back to the bridge for debriefing, and then we'll play it by ear."

"We're not gonna get in serious shit over what you did are we sergeant?" Asano asked meekly, apparently afraid with what the captain might actually do to us.

"Don't sweat it private. I'm sure it'll blow over soon enough."

Of course it didn't as I knew it wouldn't...and we were punished regardless of whether Lee agreed with Sarutobi's actions or not two hours later. It was still an embarrassment to the captain and to the first sergeant. I felt deep down inside they sympathized with us but image is important when you're that high up. It was terrible as my squad was punished with water detail and then after we filled the water containers back we had to hold buckets of water with our arms outstretched. Ino, Toyama, and Asano were safe since they didn't participate, but Sarutobi had to do pushups with First Sergeant Guy sitting on him for a couple while screaming at him. Sarutobi watched us sweat and groan as the buckets were torture on our already aching bodies. At least we weren't alone as Sergeant Mitarashi and a few others from 4th squad were also dealt with in the same manner.

"See Temari? See why I don't do troublesome shit like that?" I grunted out in frustration. My grip was slipping on my left hand but the last thing I wanted to do was drop it in front of the first sergeant.

"Quit...yer bitchin' Shikamaru. God it's a mystery why I'm attracted to you sometimes!" She sneered as she was doing worse than I was, but of course being a woman and all does that. Choji and Nazuka were faring better for about ten minutes until the captain added some rocks in there as well. How fucking humiliating...in front of the whole platoon and perhaps the company. Well at least the MPs weren't there to see this. Lee was being dealt with by the captain for his argument with the MP officer so even he was in it.

"Troublesome, bossy woman. Well...I hope that Soundie is real grateful for us stickin' up for him. Now we're payin' for it."

"Damn...corporal, you sure...do whine a lot...don't ya? Fuck...how does...Asuma deal with you?" Mitarashi scolded me as she was pushing right next to Sarutobi.

"Anko...give it a rest...will ya? He's my corporal..."

"_Thanks sergeant. At least you'll stick up for me._"

Another five or ten minutes passed as we were near the point of exhaustion. "All right you guys...you're done. Drop 'em." First Sergeant Guy bellowed as he got off of Mitarashi and pulled her and Sarutobi back up. "Don't let me catch you guys fighting with those MPs again! Yeah they're MPs, yeah they're a pain in the ass, and yeah I know Lee tried to explain what happened which I respect, but don't ever do that again!"

"Yes first sergeant." They both weakly muttered exhausted like the rest of us.

"Good. Go get some last minute grub and then some sleep. We've still got some work here in Kusa. Go."

"All right 3rd, you heard the word. Chow and then sleep."

"Any chance we'll be going back home to Konoha again for a refit sergeant?" Nakamura asked.

"Jesus Christ son, we've been in here for about a week and you think we're headin' off back home already? Oh no son, we've got ourselves some time here in the Grass Nation before the next step and I'll give ya a hint...it ain't Konoha."

"Well, what is it sergeant?" Nazuka asked.

"The Rain Nation. You rookies thought your little baptism of fire was somethin' here...hoo boy are you in for a treat. That place fucking sucks so you better cinch up your balls...and ovaries for the ladies, and get ready for some real shit."

"Fuck..." I groaned.

"What? What's with the Rain Nation?" Nakamura inquired.

"Haven't been there myself," Choji stepped in to answer, "but I heard the weather sucks year round and that it's been a pretty grisly place what with the past wars and all, including the Great War." Choji's explanation also helped answer why I cursed out loud. We've heard nothing but bad things about that country and now we were stepping right into it. The mood became pretty somber as we made our way to chow and then hours later after some more patrolling bedded down in one of the more intact buildings along with many others from 2nd Platoon who were still whispering gossip and rumors all around.

"So...did ya hear that we're goin' to the Rain Nation?"

"Hell I'd give up my college fund just to avoid that place. I heard the Soundies have got some big time stuff goin' down there."

"Big time stuff?" Another private voiced in as she whispered from almost across the room.

"Yeah, ya heard me. I heard the Soundies are makin' some crazy war machines to fight off our planes and armor, like walking suits and other weird shit."

"Bullshit. I heard they were developing drugs for their soldiers to use and make them like super soldiers."

"That's even greater bullshit! Why I heard they're buildin' rockets and something one of the brainy intel officers I heard talkin' about!"

"What? Rockets? Like the shit in comic books and stuff?"

"Yeah I heard the Soundies are making shit like that because we and those Water guys are comin' in so fast."

"I'll believe it when I see it with my own eyes. Pffft! Rockets! That's a good joke ya got there Yokoi. I needed a good laugh before I went to sleep."

I wanted to yell at these idiots but I'd just wake even more people up. Besides, their conversation was over anyway, but the subject material was certainly less than comforting. Were the Soundies really coming up with outlandish things like that for their war efforts? Could they even be capable of doing such things? I know the Soundies were smart and industrious people, but such things seemed too surreal. As I laid down and tried to have the sight of Temari sleeping peacefully, the rumors and horror stories of the Rain Nation bore down on me. Would it be a crypt for Sound, Water, and Leaf alike? I brushed Temari's hair with my hand and tried to close my eyes, a slight trembling disturbing my attempts. The Rain Nation...

"_Will it be as bad as they say it is? Are the Soundies really up to something big there, something so terrible that it might not just affect me or those with me right now? Oh man, for the first time in a long time I hope I'm wrong...I really do._"


	32. Chapter 32

About a week or two passed since the brass made Kusagakure a more permanent establishment for staging operations for the next

About a week or two passed since the brass made Kusagakure a more permanent establishment for staging operations for the next big push. As Sarutobi talked about before, we were going to be hitting the Rain Nation, and hard for that matter. The Rain Nation was a low lying country with shitty weather and an urban system that made the word confusing an understatement, especially their capital of Amegakure. Our history classes told of terrible battles fought there. My father being a veteran of the Great War told me he never fought there but pitied those who did. When I thought about that a lump the size of a golf ball formed in my throat but over the course of the next week or so it faded as being the realist I was I had to confront it. Of course I'd much rather be sleeping or daydreaming but seeing as how the fates hate me and my guts I wasn't granted that privilege often enough. I was ordered by Sarutobi to get up and stand post in one of the outlying houses that was still intact watching for any Sound movement, of course such things weren't likely given how long it's been but one never knows.

"Sleep well last night princess?" A naked arm wrapped itself around my chest as I wiped the crust from my eyes. "You look like shit."

"It's 'cause I feel like shit. Haven't been able to some nights."

"Bad omen?"

"Nah. I don't really believe in omens or superstition. It's a pain in the ass for me."

"As is everything Shikamaru."

Temari and I peered through the window closest to our sleeping mats. Outside tanks and halftracks were being fueled up with the stolen oil the Soundies had stowed away and fresh new troops were being pulled in from forward bases that rather lost their purposes. The Sound had retreated out of Kusagakure and tried to establish a counterattack along the southern flank but our air power was too much for them as they withdrew into the Rain Nation. It was a week that we saw no Sound action whatsoever and while I'd treat it like a blessing, I still felt iffy about the whole thing. The Sound was notorious for their trickery and brazen, pain-inflicting attacks and with the rumors spreading over these "super weapons" that they've been developing. The civilians that were bold enough to stay here certainly rewarded us with what they had and we of course played the gracious guests and accepted their gestures. Of course that also meant we kept them away from the POWs fearing what might happen. After that row Sarutobi started I began to understand why that was the smart thing to do. Turns out ol' Asuma had a chit-chat with Sergeant Morino and despite Morino's mean streak he told Sarutobi that he got the captain's respect for the whole integrity bit. Like I said before, he's one of those heroes you only hear about in those exaggerated war tales old fogies love to blab on about.

"Shikamaru...oh man. You gotta try some of this jam and crackers some of the locals gave us. It's out of this world!" Choji spat out along with several foodstuffs as Ino and I watching in embarrassment of our dear friend.

"Anything edible to you is out of this world Choji."

"C'mon Shikamaru. Just try it..."

He offered me one with a thick reddish paste on it. I took a little nibble and I'd be a liar if I said I didn't find it to be downright delicious. Temari took another one from Choji and reacted the same way.

"See what'd I tell ya guys? Even ol' Lazy Bones Sure Shot here would like it."

"Such a flattering name Choji. I oughta write that one down for future use."

"Trademarked by yours truly of course good buddy." We all got a cheap laugh by another one of his monikers despite it being at my expense. Choji was always a good pal and never meant it to spite.

"Hey I hate to be the ogre," a rather gruff looking Sarutobi stepped right in, "but you do remember you have a job to do right?" The conversation stopped dead as we all nodded our heads. "That's my 3rd squad kiddies...now get moving."

"Already gone sergeant!" Choji picked up the .30 cal without delay and huffed over to the far window overlooking one of the roads southwest of the town.

"Yeah I think I'll be helpin' Choji out some that all right sergeant?" I asked as I jogged over to where Choji wasted no time setting up the machine gun.

"Hold it there cowboy..." his hand gripped my equipment belt strap, "how about you go on watch with Yamanaka this time? Temari will keep Akimichi company. A change in scenery is always good wouldn't ya agree?"

"You sure about that sergeant?"

"You doubting me Nara?"

"No."

"Then you heard me corporal. Go with Yamanaka. I'll keep an eye on your girlfriend and best friend." I could tell he wasn't bullshitting with his tone and that look in his eyes even with his lovely but cutting remark. I knew he was getting my goat by pairing me with Ino. Hell I could already picture Ino's reaction to it but Sergeant Sarutobi was king in 3rd squad, and as troublesome as he could be with his orders, what he says goes. Temari just shrugged her shoulders as she walked on the creaking floorboards towards Choji with another box of ammunition. Sarutobi was busy watching all the little ants at work smoking what'd be perhaps the second or third cigarette of the day. If the Soundies didn't kill him it'd be that damn smoking that's for sure. Slinging my Springfield and taking one last bite out of the makeshift platter of crackers, cheese, and that jam Choji was harping about, I gradually made my way towards where Ino was standing. This was going to be painful.

"Wonderful. Sergeant sends the resident whiner to help me instead of Sugiyama or even Asano fer Chrissake." Right off the bat she revved the complaint engine.

"Good to see you too on this fine morning Ino. How's the menstrual cycle treating you?"

"Very mature there Shikamaru."

I smirked at her arrogantly. "Says the drama queen herself. Still all bitchy over Sasuke and the fact that Sakura's banging him like an overworked pair of band cymbals instead of you?"

"You cheap shot son of a..." She was almost ready to slap me after that last quip.

"HEY!" He must've been watching us the whole time. "Keep that shit up you two and so help me God I'll come over there and really ruin your day. You're supposed to be working together...not bickering like children so work together damn it!"

Ino sighed. "Yes sergeant."

"Nara, be nice to her all right?"

"But..."

"Nara..."

"Fine. Pain in my ass..." I muttered underneath my breath. "All right you just follow my watch ya got that Ino?"

"Whatever you say oh wise and steely-eyed Corporal Nara."

"Troublesome women...all alike...all insubordinate and whiny and..." I started mumbling incoherently under my breath to the point that even I didn't know what I was saying but just moving my mouth for the sake of it.

"Oh cram it Shikamaru. Sergeant's had us watch here together so we might as well make the most of it right?" As much as I wouldn't like to agree with her, this time she was right.

"Well the Soundies don't look like they're gonna do much anyway so I guess we might as well enjoy the peaceful view right?"

"Smartest thing I've heard from you today Shikamaru."

"You know that whole no antagonizing thing works both ways right?"

"Right, right…"

"On a less troublesome note, sergeant said you got yourself hurt again. Congratulations. You feeling any better or are we gonna have to skirt you to the triage center again?"

"Oh har har, you should do stand up." She sneered as she scanned the horizon through her rifle sight. "But I see you're actually concerned which flatters me so I'll comfort you in letting you know I'm all right. Sure it still hurts a little but in the leg but they got the little pieces out with little mess. Being a medic I'm proud of my fellow docs."

"Good...good...Sarutobi would hate having to fish for another medic."

"You're so compassionate."

"And you're too easy."

"How about you be useful and use that scope of yours to look around instead of me squinting my eyes all the time? You expend a whole lotta effort on whines and sarcasm, so imagine what you could achieve with actually using that rank of yours."

I yawned and pretended to snap my head in her direction like she caught me off guard. "I'm sorry what was that you said?"

She sighed. "Never mind...lazy jerk."

Another hour passed as we took turns standing post and watching and taking small water and munchies breaks. Perhaps it was good that Sarutobi gave me Ino because if I was with Choji I'd be manning the .30 cal for periods of time unfit for a man of my physique. She wasn't so bad when she kept her trap shut. Maybe I could see what Choji saw in her when she wasn't blabbing away or giving him shit about something superficial or minute.

"Man I'd kill to have Choji's muscle right about now." I said in order to get some conversation out.

"Well why don't you work out instead of sleep?"

"Ever heard of easier said than done?"

"The typical Shikamaru excuse."

"Huh, well I think you get a kick out of him being buff and all."

"What?" She looked at me as if she was offended. "Are you serious? The man makes an ass out of himself almost as much as Naruto, and believe you me I'm not attracted by the whole meathead thing."

"My, my, aren't we scathing?"

"Look he's my friend and all but I'm not attracted to him."

"All right then." I waited for a few minutes to say the next line. "So...how goes the battle with Sakura?" I smugly asked hoping she'd bite.

"Well it certainly doesn't look good for...hey wait a minute. What do you care about it?"

"Oh nothing...so have you gotten a good look at Sasuke recently? Some of the new recruits are fawning over him all of a sudden."

"Well they'd be wise to stay away from me and Sakura. Hey cover me Shikamaru, I gotta hit the little girl's room...that is if this place has working plumbing knock on wood." She wrapped her hand on a wooden windowsill three times. She fiddled with her equipment trying to fish out her canteen, spilling a couple semi-crumpled pieces of paper totally unawares. I could've done the honest thing and told her about it, but I always knew she wrote personal notes to herself and I was dying to get some answers, especially about Choji. Shit, the big lug pines over her enough I might as well see if he actually does stand a realistic chance. I scooped them up before she heard anything. My heart sped up in sheer anticipation over what idiocy and/or juicy info she might've had on my oversized companion. Speed reading through the first few, they looked like old notes about something stupid like the schoolgirl obsession over Sasuke or whining about Sakura or me...typical.

Some of these dated as far back as Kumogakure. "_It was a miracle we survived that one. I gotta say it was a nail biter that's for sure. The Sound just seem so relentless and always pushing us to the brink but by luck and sheer grit we made it through. Shikamaru in a moment of rare courage ran off to save the shy girl Hinata after that kid she worships got himself flung in the air taking out an assault gun. Balls of steel the kid has but the brain size of a peanut. Ran into the Sand Resistance for the first time. Bunch of rag tag civilians if you ask me but they helped us out so I shouldn't be too mean. We picked up three of them, including this bitchy blonde who seems to really get Shikamaru's goat. I envision her being something big with that lazy asshole. Choji and I joke about it the whole time. I think Choji still likes me...but he just doesn't get the message sometimes."_

Ha. Who knew Ino was a friggin' psychic with Temari?

"_Whatever Hinata did or said must've worked some crazy voodoo magic or something because Neji got the shit beaten out of him by Naruto. I guess he deserved it after how he was treating Hinata the whole time but you have to also give Naruto credit. He was the knight in shining armor this time, even if he passed out right afterwards. I had to spend two freaking hours needling and patching him up so he wouldn't bleed all over the place. Speaking of which it's time for Shikamaru or Choji to keep watch on the idiot. I'm going to sleep._"

I saw another note, most likely one after I said something mean to her.

"_Whiny, unappreciative...that jerk doesn't deserve that Sand woman but she's just as bad sometimes. Hell I know he's my friend but sometimes with her I feel like I just don't belong. I bet he talks about me behind my back with her. Jesus I don't know why Sarutobi doesn't kick his ass sometimes and..._"

"Ok I've had enough of that note but I'm keeping it anyway." I snickered shoveling it into my pocket.

"_What a battle...all those tanks and I swear to God I almost lost my hearing. The tank company lost their commander and Naruto was howling for hours. I've never been a big fan of the dimwit but this time I truly felt for him. I cannot believe I broke down after that town ambush. Stupid me...crying like that, yelling at Shikamaru and Temari, pissing off the sergeant. This war is just getting to me that's all. Seems like every day my hands get blood on them, other people's blood. Sure I get hurt but I can handle myself...it's just hearing the screams of the others, especially the dying. When that Sand kid died after Takigakure the screams and the crying of him and the others kept haunting me. I don't know how much longer I can take this. Every day my heart feels emptier and my head feels heavier. Having trouble sleeping nowadays. I feel so alone..."_

"Jesus...Ino..." I never really saw this side of Ino. I mean I've seen her vulnerable but then again we've all been like that once or twice in the war. Hell the only people I've ever seen really keep their composure is Sarutobi or Choji. However, she's been keeping her feelings from us for some time I gather. I kept flipping though noticing another melancholy scribble.

"_Well that does it. Spent another night noticing Sakura and Sasuke getting intimate while I sit alone on guard duty. I might as well call it quits. Fuck. If Sakura wasn't my friend I'd have done her in and taken Sasuke all for myself but it seems the fates didn't want that. Sai…well Sai is Sai and despite the fact he's looked handsome from time to time, I cannot get over his lack of personality and just how weird he is. God I still feel alone even with my friends around me. I moped around a little bit hoping to get into some of Sarutobi's booze. I finagled a shot or two which made me feel slightly better. Taking a walk outside I happened to notice Choji changing his clothes. It was probably the booze but damn did I feel aroused seeing his muscles, a big man and such a softy too. He didn't see me but I saw him in all his glory and I felt the biggest urge to pounce on him for some sort of rough satisfaction sex. Upon retrospect I felt so embarrassed thinking that and saying it to myself over and over for ten minutes straight. I hope no one sees this but...it's been some time since I last wrote about him and I think...I think I'm falling in love with Choji._"

"Ha, ha! Jackpot!" I muttered to myself. Looks like Ino did have some bigger chinks in her armor. I continued to read the last part of the journal note.

"_I know it sounds crazy. The man has asked me out in triple digit numbers and I've told him flat out no again and again, but this war...this war is bringing a whole side of him I never noticed. When he gets hurt I've never been more concerned for anyone else and when we're under attack he's always acted like that big shield to take whatever the Sound threw at us, me especially. When we rescued those parents and nearly died or when we were ambushed by the Sound after they massacred that Grass town it was him who comforted me and no one else. He's taken all the abuse I've laid on him and still stays my friend. Sure I thought about trying to get with Shikamaru once or twice before the war and even at boot camp,_" well that's certainly an interesting nugget of info, "_but when Temari came I knew she'd be perfect for him. I would've been too annoying to him and he would've been just as bad for me. The same applied to Sai when we first started in Fox Company. I don't think he was right for me. Choji on the other hand always had patience with me and to be honest, I always said he was a meathead but when Sakura told me he lost all that weight and gained all that muscle for me...I was flattered. I think after all those attempts to break my shell Choji might've finally found a soft spot. This time I don't think I'd mind the soft spot. I just wonder when the right time for the both of us would be..._"

Well I'll be damned. She was gettin' soft for my main man all along. I guess what that Wave soldier, Corporal Inari, said was right from the get-go. Ya don't give up and when things get shitty you keep walking. Of course he was a really religious man like Shino so he usually equated his resilience to God or something spiritual. I actually smiled knowing my best friend had an even better chance than before. I heard boot steps clambering up the stairs as I frantically shoved the notes into my pockets.

"Ahhhhh! Who'da thunk the simplest pleasures in life could be the best?" She grinned adjusting the waistline on her pants while getting her rifle back in her hands.

"Your guess is as good as mine Ino." Wow. That was a close one. Good thing I'm great at playing the nonchalant role.

"You look awfully relaxed in such a short period of time Shikamaru."

"Hey I gotta get some rest when I can right?"

"Spoken like a true lazy asshole."

"Hey Konoha needs at least one lazy asshole and it looks like I was perfect for the position."

"Well…it's good to know you accepted your fate." She growled in agitation as we both noticed Sakura and Sasuke sneaking around, most likely trying to find a desolate alley for a quickie. "Ugh, what the hell has she got that I don't? I have brains and beauty…I was Miss Konoha two years running in high school after all!"

"Whatever…"

"I cannot believe Sasuke fell for her and her trickery. Flat-chested bitch…"

"I sense some bitterness in the air…not that I should care or anything."

"I'm not bitter, besides he's missing out when I could have someone like Choji who could take me and…" She stopped short and shut her lips with a certain panic.

"What…what was that?" I inquired curiously. Sure her notes already spilled the beans but getting it straight from the horse's mouth would be so much sweeter.

"Nothing."

"I'm not sure…I thought I heard you say something involving Choji and your lovin'."

"You heard wrong you lazy bum."

"I guess so." I looked away from my scope and faced her down, waiting for her to crack. "Ino?" She looked away trying to avoid my inquisitorial look. "Ino…you hiding something? Oh my God…you're attracted to Choji aren't you?"

"No I'm not!"

"I think you are. You've been awfully friendly towards him as of late."

"Well I'm still not so zip it!" I continued to look at her with pure disbelief. If there was one thing Ino couldn't handle, it was a stare down she knew she wasn't going to win. I could see the beads of sweat forming from her brow. She was busted.

"Ino...Ino...Iiiiiinnnooooooo..."

"Shut up Shikamaru."

"I think you still like Choji...a lot..."

"I said shut it!" I could tell she was starting to crack. All it took was a little mental pressure and she'd fall like a poorly stacked house of cards. I kept looking at her as the staring showed its signs of getting at her. "Fuck! All right I like Choji! There are you happy now?"

"I think he'll be happier to find out."

"No! Wait a second Shikamaru! Don't say a God damn word or I swear on my grandmother's grave your end will be premature!"

"All right, all right. You have my word."

"Good. Don't ruin anything Shikamaru. If you put yourself in my shoes, even you would find that too...troublesome."

"So ya finally caved in huh? I knew women had weaker constitutions."

"Shut up. You don't understand."

"Understand what?"

"You probably think of me as some perky blonde who cares more about her beauty than she does saving lives..."

"There's an understatement..."

"Ok fuck you. Fine, forget I said anything!" I could almost hear her getting a little choked up which was odd. Then I remembered the note.

"Now, now wait Ino. I didn't mean it like that. C'mon...I'm sorry ok?"

She sniffled for a second. "Sure you think it's easy because you don't have a care in the world. You never do. Sure I was the good looking one in school but did I ever reap the benefits of it? No. We didn't hang out much even if our parents did, but I never had a boyfriend so all the stories you've ever heard about me were lies. I never had someone to tell me I was pretty and mean it. I never really had someone do something really charming for me and not just want sex or to show off to the guys. Sarutobi told me once that it takes some people longer than expected for them to realize what, or who more importantly, really matters, and it took me twenty-three years to figure that out Shikamaru. I set my sights on Sasuke from day one and ignored everyone else, even if it might result in total failure. The very man who was portly all throughout high school and the laughing stock of most of our classmates had his eye on me the whole time, but I was too vain to notice. He asked me out again and again but I guess I was too caught up in popularity to be caught with a chubby guy like him. Then this came as did boot camp, and then he set himself on a mission. I thought they forced him to lose all that weight but everyone kept telling me that he did it for me and me alone. Not for personal health, not for the Leaf Army, but for me. I dismissed it until Sarutobi finally told me everything he's done for me and that I've come to truly appreciate it. I guess you can say I'm starting to feel what he's felt for years. Look at me...I'm professing my new feelings towards the laziest jerk Konoha has ever seen. Wow did I strike out." I could tell she was ready to tear but bless her soul she had the strength to not look weak in front of me or any passing soldiers. She spilled her guts about Choji for what I thought would take years to come out. I was tempted to expose the notes I pilfered from her but I stayed my hand. Ino told me without a fight and she didn't deserve to get upset from my spying.

"Ino...it's all right." I placed my hand on her shoulder. "I ain't gonna give ya shit for that, not with Choji."

She weakly laughed. "Thanks Shikamaru. I appreciate that. Let Choji find out on his own though."

"HEY! The fuck you two doing...holding an intervention? Get back to manning the post!" Sarutobi screamed loud enough to have everyone just look at us in a classic moment of embarrassment. We shied back towards the window and got back to watching. About thirty minutes of dead silence passed.

"Hey Shikamaru..."

"Yeah Ino?"

"You hear those rumors spreading around about the Sound getting all desperate and using these 'experimental' weapons?'"

"Yeah I heard about them...and?"

"It's getting some of the rookies spooked. I mean you, Choji, and I have been fighting the Sound for more than a year and we know a lot of tricks that they've had up their sleeves, but these kids haven't seen a thing."

"Well I wouldn't worry too much about it."

"God I hope so. I think even guys like Kiba are getting all skittish and knowing the Sound I wouldn't be the least bit surprised."

Of course even I felt the goosebumps with the whole Rain Nation thing and then all the rumors flying around now more than ever. I recalled when I was with LT Uzuki and the Rangers and all that intel they dug up on the Panzer Lehr. Sure some of the stories were far fetched but the ones about jet planes and big, terrible weapons I bet could unease even the most rock solid of soldiers.

The scene was peaceful as it contradicted the ambiance of the tanks and soldiers clambering about. The wind blew with a cooler air as it rustled against the leaves and through the cracks and holes of the buildings. At first I didn't think it was anything but then I heard a strange droning noise, something very unnatural. My heart started to pick up.

"Ino...you hear that? Sergeant did you too?"

"Hear what Shikamaru?" I put my finger up to silence her and told her to listen. Her eyes got slightly wider as the same noise was getting picked up by her ears, and the worst part was that it was getting louder. Soon a loud crack was heard overhead as if the sky itself was split.

"What the fuck is that?" Sarutobi asked aloud. "Nara can you get a bead on it?"

"I'll try..." I looked all around to find a strange flying object streaking the sky. Upon further inspection I discovered where the droning noise was coming from. "Oh holy fuck..." I trembled at the sight of it as it was heading straight towards the city from the sky. Sarutobi just gasped at the sight of it from his binoculars, his lit cigarette dropping without him even noticing.

"Sweet Jesus! TAKE COVER!" Sarutobi screamed as about twenty seconds later the object slammed right into the ground about four blocks away. Brick and metal flew everywhere as I could only get a one second peek out of the window. Dear God what the hell just hit us? Was that...a rocket? Was that a fucking rocket?

"Everyone all right?" The sergeant asked to which we all responded. In the distance as I crawled back up I saw everyone running around in a panic trying to seek whatever cover they could find. A lone Sherman's crew bailed out leaving it wide open about a half a kilometer in the distance

"Shit! There's another one!" The loud boom in the sky could be heard by the whole city. Thirty seconds later it landed on the Sherman and blew out about half of the houses near it. Entire floors crumbled to the ground as metal, rock, and what I regrettably recognized as body parts flew all over.

"Holy shit! What's going on?" Asano yelled in a panic.

"Just stay put Asano! I have no idea but we're dead if we go outside!" Sarutobi answered right back. The screaming of civilian and soldier alike flooded the streets and another massive explosion rocked the city off in the distance. Buildings were falling apart at the very foundation and medics frantically scrambled to pick up the screaming wounded. Hinata and the medic from 1st squad sprinted to pick up two wounded engineers, one of which had a rebar impaled through his leg. Naruto rushed in to assist before Mitarashi herded him and Ayako back in along with the medics. Another boom rang through the sky.

"Shit here comes another one!" Choji yelled as he held Ino close to him to cover her in a rather chivalrous act. The rocket landed right near our house and out in the grasslands, but the explosion...holy hell was it something the likes of which I've never seen! Dust and debris flew all through the windows as the very house shook, chips of concrete and chandeliers crashing to the ground while pictures fell off the walls and wooden boards cracked.

"Stay firm 3rd squad...just stay firm."

"Temari!" I screamed as I held her close to me like Choji did Ino. "Are you ok Temari?" She had superficial cuts on her face and tears on her outfit.

"I'm all right...I'm all right. What are we gonna do Shikamaru?" Like the rest of us she was scared shitless from these rockets. We had no idea what in the hell they were and where they came from. A roar erupted along with a scorching flash in the distance as a building about six houses down went down and took chunks out of its nearby homes. Two Jeeps nearby were incinerated. I could feel the heat from here as it felt like my hair was being singed. Larger chunks of ceiling were landing all over us. A blast of pain rang through my back as one hit me right in the ribcage area, knocking the wind out of me.

"Shikamaru!" Temari got me up again as we scrambled for better cover.

"Tem..." I hacked and wheezed trying to get her name out. "Temari..."

"For a crybaby you sure took that hit like a champ!" She yelled over the explosions and yelling. I felt a little woozy from the blow and I could catch the taste of blood from my lip. Meanwhile a fifth explosion was heard from another part of the city. Already there were craters and ruined houses all over from these massive weapons. What in the hell were they and where did they come from?!

"Unreal…" Choji muttered aloud. Larger cracks started to form and spider along the walls and ceilings.

"Clear the stairway…now!" Sarutobi yelled to Toyama as he ran towards us as best he could before the whole thing collapsed on itself. Had he stayed he would've been crushed to death. Another loud crack in the air meant another was on its way.

"Shit here comes another one!" Sugiyama screamed as we laid as flat as possible on the wooden floors. Thirty seconds later the roar of the detonation shook the whole house. It must've been closer than the last one considering how a chunk of stone flew right through the window and almost nailed Asano in the face on the way down. The whole squad was breathing erratically including myself fearing the next rocket would hit smack dab on our house.

"They feel like they're right on top of us!"

"Just stay put 3rd squad! We'll get through this!" An even louder roar was heard as what would be the seventh rocket careened towards our general vicinity. "Ah shit…INCOMING!"

"Temari hold on!" I held her as tightly as possible as the boom was so loud I thought I went deaf before my hearing returned ten seconds later. The whole house was coming apart as we could feel the heat of the rocket's explosion pour into the windows, the hair on my arms singing from it. The females of the squad had fared better considering how we were sheltering them. We could feel light burns all over our bodies. I felt sorry for the poor saps that might've been incinerated from the damnable thing.

"Fuck…the place is collapsing sergeant!" Ino yelled.

"I know…I know…hold on to something guys!" The walls started crumbling as pieces of the house fell right off. "Hold on!" The wood cracked around Choji, Ino, and Nazuka caving in around the three of them. One final crack was all it needed for the three of them to fall down to the first floor.

"SHIT! CHOJI!" I yelled. I got no response. Pretty soon another section of the floor buckled and bent where Temari and I were.

"Oh shit Shikamaru I'm slipping!" Temari and I were being forced down the ramp but trying our hardest to find purchase on something. "Grab on to something!"

"I'm trying God damn it!" The piece of wood we were sliding from was breaking from our weight. Pretty soon we'd fall right off and with a massive shaking of the ground from the eighth rocket, it snapped right off.

"Nara! Temari!" Sarutobi rushed in and grabbed both of our arms. "C'mon guys…help me get 'em up!" Asano, Toyama, Nakamura, and Sugiyama helped pull us up as the wooden floor shattered into a thousand pieces on the pavement. I looked at Sarutobi, panting frantically, as he knew I was thanking him without the need for words.

"Shikamaru? Shikamaru!" It was Choji's voice! Thank the heavens he was alive!

"Choji! Choji you big bastard, are you ok?"

"Yeah I'm ok…as is Ino. Nazuka's out cold but I think he's all right. Took a hard landing that's all."

"Stay put Akimichi. We'll come down and get ya when it's safe! The rest of you seek cover. I don't know when this shit is going to end."

"Yes sergeant. C'mon guys…just stay low and safe and we'll be all right." Nakamura said in an effort to get us going. Truth was we were scared stiff for the next attack. We waiting, our hearts pounding wildly for the next rocket to come slamming down on top of us, but after a half-hour of huddling in fear, there was nothing. Another hour had passed as the sun was setting, but still no rockets. We managed to get Choji, Ino, and Nazuka back up in the process along with their weapons which escaped the attack relatively unscathed.

"What gives sergeant?" Sugiyama asked innocently.

"I dunno, but we're not leaving until the LT or captain says so." We waiting for another half-hour to an hour as more buildings lost their support and crumbled and medics ran around picking up the wounded.

"2nd Platoon! Outside on the double!" Sergeant Morino screamed.

"You heard him guys…outside now!"

2nd Platoon, shaken and disheveled, hobbled out of the buildings like cripples. Dust and blood covered their uniforms but by sheer luck it looked like no one else had died since the original battle. However, a few of them looked like they were in sheer agony with fractures and bandages around their heads and limbs. I was relieved to see Hinata, Naruto, Shino, and my other comrades all ok save for some superficial damage. We were caught with our pants down and had no idea how to react as Lee inspected us all. He seemed to be a little worse for wear with a slight limp to his walking. I was no longer coughing up blood and Choji seemed to be all right. That of course didn't stop the lot of us from shaking nervously like scared children, the shell shock already affecting a good amount of the soldiers.

"2nd Platoon…I can't begin to imagine how you feel after such an attack. Like you I have no idea as to what exactly hit us and how such things could cause such devastation. Believe me, we have our intelligence working on the situation as we speak but reports have come in from all over talking about the same attacks. Some may even fear it may have hit the Water Nation or even…Konoha itself." A couple gasps and shocked murmurs erupted from the platoon but Sergeant Morino hushed them. "I know, I know…it frightens even me and the captain. But these horrendous attacks will only prove to be the Sound's downfall. When we get the bead on where these attacks are coming from, they will face harsh vengeance. I want a lockdown of our whole sector! Get the wounded and broken in for triage. Have the medics pulled off of guard duty and doing their work with the medical teams. We're not going to be caught unawares by any dastardly Sound trickery as long as I have a breath in my body. Squad leaders will delegate the tasks to your soldiers and have hourly accountability checks ready for me. We're lucky we survived this 2nd Platoon, so let's not have the Sound take advantage of this attack. Once everyone is in position we'll stand watch until we rack out and even then we'll need two squads on and two squads off."

"C'mon Nara, back in the house with the rest. Ino, you get with Sergeant Morino and he'll direct where you're going." He shook his head in disgust of the devastation as he reached in for a cigarette for therapy. "Jesus…only forty minutes and it looks like the place just got rocked by a fuckin' massive earthquake."

What he said was an understatement. Casualties already amounted close to a hundred and that was only the dead soldiers. Many other civilians were killed or horribly maimed, some not making it while the docs were treating them. The civilian physicians, local priests, and our own medical personnel were working 'round the clock including Ino and Hinata who I'm sure were very close to a mental breakdown with such a horrific attack and its aftermath.

The platoon was herded in by the squad leaders who placed everyone on watch at certain locations. Half of the platoon was already scared shitless at the rumors of those rockets hitting Konoha on top of the possibility that it might happen again in Kusagakure again. Sarutobi had me placed next to Choji to spot for any Sound scouts or troopers that hoped to attack us in our moment of vulnerability. So far everything was quiet, but comfort was thrown out the fuckin' window, as parts of the city still burned and were isolated from any soldier or civilian. With the orange glow of the flames behind me I turned to Choji who had already prepped his machine gun in record time and loaded it with tracer rounds.

"Hey Choji."

"Yeah Shikamaru?"

"Some real fucked up stuff that just happened huh?"

"You're telling me. What scares me more than anything is that those huge bombs possibly hit Konoha! God I hope my parents are ok. I really pray they didn't get hurt."

"I'm with ya one hundred percent there buddy. I know my parents are a little more on the outskirts but those rockets could've hit a ton of places and I'm hopin' they missed our folks too."

"Just what in the hell were they anyway?"

"I think they were some of those 'super weapons' a lot of the green privates were gossiping about. Turns out they weren't bluffing. I've never seen such destruction that wasn't from a squadron of bombers. Those were unreal."

"I know man. Even I was petrified by those things. They didn't even look like they were dropped from a plane for Chrissake! It's as if they were guided to Kusa! It seems like every time we're invading another country they get harder and harder to fight. It's like we're winning but we're losing at the same time."

"Well...I can't disagree. We've lost some good people that's for sure. I don't believe in much Choji I can tell you that, but what I can tell you is that with a guy like Sarutobi on our side, my feelings of getting outta this in one piece went from squat to five percent."

Choji laughed. "You're such a cheery fellow Shikamaru. Good thing Sarutobi is around to keep you in check otherwise God knows what might've happened had you been in Sasuke's squad or worse...Sergeant Mitarashi of all people."

"Ha. Yeah no kiddin'. If I was I'd be ten times more miserable than I am now. I mean, at least I got pals like you and even those troublesome broads Temari and Ino. Speaking of which how bad was that fall you took with her when we got hit?"

"I can't say anything about her concerning my body broke her fall, though I'm in enough pain that's for sure."

"Always the noble one Choji."

"If it'll win her heart then so be it." Of course she had already confided in me her newly existing feelings for my large comrade, but since she asked me to keep it on the DL I couldn't say anything too obvious.

"Well keep it going big guy. Hell she might be warming up to you with every attempt."

"I hope so. She's been gettin' run ragged by all the fighting and starting to get all depressed. I hope I can be there to help her through it."

"You're a good guy Choji. I'm sure you will."

"Hey Nara! Akimichi! Go get some shuteye. We're on third shift for guard duty and then it's sleeping for the rest of the night." I had nearly forgotten that it was the end of our shift. Peaceful slumber awaited as about fifteen minutes later I was ready to get some rest. This time I didn't feel as aggravated with Temari right next to me. I could use all the sleeping aid I could get.

Shit, turns out it didn't help as much as I thought. I was still way too nervous about the Sound and about what might've happened to Konoha. The squad and I managed about four, maybe five hours of sleep and even then it was tossing and turning for me. I could barely get up when roll call was announced seeing how much of a creature of sloth I was.

"C'mon lazy...it's get up time or else the sergeant's gonna whoop your ass." Ino whined to me in her typical fashion. "LT Lee wants us outside pronto!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming..."

"Well she's up early all of a sudden." Temari commented while yawning.

"I don't know nor care." I replied stretching my back and getting up.

"Ino!" Sugiyama rushed towards her other female squad mate. "We heard Konoha was hit!"

"What?"

"Yeah some of those rockets hit Konoha but we heard the damage wasn't as bad as people said it was."

"Well I can only hope so. I'm sure my parents are ok though. My dad was a veteran of the Great War. He'd know how to handle something like that."

When I got on the street there was still smoke billowing out of some of the buildings in the distance and even a block or two away. No effort was made to clear the rubble that those rockets had caused seeing how such attempts might make us all sitting ducks. The chatter outside reached epic proportions as Lee had gathered the squads in a huddle around him and Sergeant Morino. Once everyone was all set Sergeant Morino raised his hands for silence for the LT to speak.

"Men and women, soldiers of the Leaf Army, I come with terrible news. Yesterday while we were under attack from the same cowardly Sound weapons, Konoha was indeed struck by these very weapons. Our intelligence reports have dubbed these rockets 'Vengeance' weapons." Like last night gasps and frantic back and forth talking swept through the platoon like a wild fire. Lee looked around to get the crowd quiet again. "Now I know this is grim news to bear, but we are doing everything we can to find out what exactly happened. I cannot make any guarantees but I am confident your loved ones are in good health. I was told by the captain himself that the alarms went off as soon as the first one hit and that casualties were minimal. I wish I could tell you no one got hurt, but I cannot lie to my soldiers. Our own citizens were killed by these abominable weapons and all we can do right now is pray for their safety. In the mean time we're awaiting orders from Major Shizune and Colonel Jiraiya concerning the next stage of attack. The Sound has effectively been pushed out of the Grass Nation so it is now free from their tyranny. We cannot slack in our goal to cut off the yoke of Sound oppression so there is still a job to be done. I know you worry about your loved ones but the sooner we find where these weapons are coming from and how to stop them, the safer every freedom-loving nation will be. Sergeant Morino and I want you to reconsolidate your things, help with the wounded, and clean up what you can. I'll get to the bottom of the situation as it progresses. Dismissed." With that we scattered, but Sarutobi stayed with Sergeant Morino as the platoon sergeant signaled him over. I wonder what he's discussing with him.

"Jeez...I'm fuckin' scared. I hope my little brother is ok." said Sugiyama as even she had the shakes. "Fuckin' Sound pricks and their bombs."

"It's all right Yuriko. If I'm sure my parents are ok then yours will be just fine...hell all of ours will." Toyama said to her and the squad in an attempt to bring some comfort to the table.

"I hear ya Kaz. Even though I worry...like I said before I think my family just fine." Choji agreed.

"Yeah I hope the flower shop didn't get leveled. Don't want my parents business destroyed because I know they're fine but still..." Ino commented with a slightly nervous chuckle.

"I wouldn't worry Ino. Best to stay positive even in the most glum of situations." Choji replied.

"Yeah...you're probably right Choji. You always were a more upbeat guy than Shikamaru the cynical asshole that he is." A few laughs rang through the squad even from Temari giving Ino another reason to smile.

"Private Yamanaka!" She just froze but still turned her head to see Sergeant Morino and Sarutobi signaling her to see them. Slowly but timidly she walked towards them, her Garand slung over her shoulder.

"What d'ya think that was all about Shikamaru?" Choji asked as we watched Ino sitting down with the two sergeants. Sarutobi's face looked grim as hell as well as Morino's. Ino just sat there, her hands shaking like Naruto's taking an exam.

"Oh shit...look at Sarutobi."

"Oh no..." Choji muttered softly. After about a minute of talking with her, a look of total devastation was all we could see on her face. Her lips trembled as her rifle dropped to the ground. Her eyes were wide with the look of sheer horror. Sergeant Morino and Sarutobi did their best to comfort her as her face already became streaking with tears.

"Oh my God no...oh my God!" She screamed as her hands gripped her hair tenaciously. "NO...NO! NOOO!" Her wailing was mixed in with desperate attempts to breathe. I didn't want to know what they told her but I had a good idea as to what it was.

"INO!" Choji ran to her as I followed close by. Sarutobi stopped Choji short from reaching her as she bawled hysterically.

"Akimichi stop! She needs to grieve!"

"Fuck that sergeant she needs a shoulder to cry on!" Sarutobi felt it best that she cry it out on her own, afraid that Choji or me would only make her more upset if we failed in any attempt to help her. "INO!"

"Choji! Th-they're g-gone Choji...why? WHY?" She sputtered out in between her loud sobbing. Already she had pulled strands of her hair out and her face was bright red from her agonizing cries.

"You mean..."

"That's right private..." Sarutobi said while still in front of him, "her parents were killed by one of those rockets at her home along with several other civilians."

"Holy shit..." I muttered as I ran my hands through my hair. Poor Ino...her parents...just like that...it was too horrible for even me to bear.

"Ino." Temari came and wrapped her arm around me as we watched the poor girl grieve for her parents. Ino did not deserve such a cruel thing to happen to her. Choji had brushed Sarutobi off and quite contrary to what I expected, Ino didn't push him away but instead wrapped her arms around him and sobbed all over his uniform.

"Ino...I'm so sorry." Even the big guy sniffled sharing Ino's pain.

"M-my home...my p-p-parents...it's gone. I...I have n-nothing now. Choji...why? They did n-nothing at...at all...why d-did they die?" He had nothing to say. What could he say as he acted the part of Ino's pillow to cry on?

"I don't know Ino...I'm sorry." Her wailing was heard by the whole platoon who turned and sunk their heads in sympathy.

"Jesus fucking Christ...Sound bastards!" Nazuka snarled. "They don't know when to quit do they?"

"We'll get 'em back Nazuka. We'll find those fucking 'Vengeance' rocket sights and make them pay." Nakamura said right back to him. The death of Ino's parents helped to fuel the fire of retribution, swift and merciless retribution we wanted to lay upon the Sound. A thousand different memories flowed through my head as I remembered Mr. and Mrs. Yamanaka and how nice they were to me and to my parents. Even if Ino and I didn't get along our families were still close with each other and Choji's. Even I felt the sadness of their deaths. I'm sure my parents and Choji's were just as distraught.

"Fuck..." It was all Sarutobi let out as he took a huge drag from his cigarette before discarding it and lighting a fresh one. That was always a good sign he was stressed the fuck out.

"Sergeant..." I said to him with my head low.

"I know Nara. It hurts. It really does. All we can do for her is to just be there for her. Hell...we're all the family she's got now." It was a bitter pill to swallow. The war had just torn another family asunder, this time closer to home than desired. Her sobbing continued for another five minutes as she and Choji just held each other close, Choji giving her a canteen to sip from in an attempt to try and alleviate some of the pain she must've been going through. Of course water wasn't enough to heal that wound.

Sarutobi just sighed in frustration as his hand ran through his hair. In a surprise moment the captain came running to Sarutobi and Sergeant Morino, the first sergeant and Lee in tow.

"Sir!" Sarutobi snapped to attention and saluted.

"Sergeant Sarutobi. I'm sorry to hear about the loss of Private Yamanaka's parents...I truly am."

"I know sir. It's a tough loss for anyone. I'm especially sad because it happened to one of mine."

"Of course...but I come with something else."

Sarutobi gulped for a second, as if he felt a bad omen coming to fruition. "S-sir?" I had never seen Sarutobi so nervous in all the time I've spent with him. Around us a somber mood emanated from Fox Company and perhaps every other Leaf soldier that was in the immediate vicinity as they gathered around Captain Hatake and First Sergeant Guy.

"Temari...I have a really bad feeling about all this."

"I know..." Her breathing was heavy and tense like mine.

"There's some tragic news I need to share with you and the rest. I just got word from Colonel Jiraiya about the rocket attacks. Around the time the initial rockets detonated in Konoha...one of them hit the governmental center...and while the building suffered moderate damage...well..."

"W-Well...what...s-sir?" I could feel the utter panic surging through Sarutobi's body. That lump returned in my throat and my stomach felt queasy.

"The Hokage was critically wounded in the blast and transferred to the hospital but I'm afraid to say that by the morning came..." Sarutobi's jaw dropped along with his cigarette as he had a feeling what the captain was about to say.

"Your father...the Hokage...is dead."


	33. Chapter 33

We couldn't believe it, we just couldn't. The very idea of our leader, the Hokage, the wise and courageous old man who led us into this war and instilled into us, well maybe not me but most of us, the patriotism to take on the Sound enemy, had died. He had died in a cowardly attack by the enemy with those accused rockets. It was if the collective heart and soul of the company, and perhaps the entire Leaf Army, had sunk into a deep abyss of shock and devastation. The soldiers, and even officers like Lee, were wide-eyed with disbelief. We had always had the impression that the Sound would never reach Konoha, that we'd stop any enemy in their tracks before they laid a finger on our loved ones. The Sound had completely bypassed us and struck right at our heart, effectively tearing it out by killing the Hokage. I turned to Sarutobi, shamefully curious as to how he reacted to the news of his father's demise. His face just twitched a few times but we could see the shock of tragedy in him. Everyone else was completely silent with the doom and gloom. Hell the only things I could hear was the crackling of burning wood and metal, the heavy breathing of Sarutobi, and the even heavier sobbing of Ino who like Sarutobi had just lost her parents in that rocket attack on Konoha. Doubtless other mothers, fathers, siblings, children, and friends were hurt or possibly worse on the attack. We hadn't received any word of the total damage those abominable weapons had done to Konoha, but the worry and fear was already taking its toll amongst the soldiers. When Otokagure had invaded our homeland and were pushed back, the people screamed to fight the Sound at every turn but that was when our spirit and patriotism were high. Again doubtless the people would be crying out for revenge, but with the death of the Hokage and so many other loved ones the thought of any high spirits was as rare as a diamond in the rough.  
"Shikamaru...I'm so sorry." Temari put her arm around me as I sunk my head down along with the rest of 2nd Platoon. Our leader was dead and we were not there to do anything about it. Sarutobi didn't reach for another cigarette as he walked a little bit towards the captain, not uttering a peep.  
"Sergeant?" I asked. He slowly turned his head with a look I had never seen before. I couldn't even describe it the look was so bewildering. His eyes looked hollow and his lips completely devoid of any emotional sign, as if his whole mind was just blown away.  
"Watch the squad Nara..." With that he brushed past Captain Hatake and walked off to God knows where.  
"Wait what sergeant? Watch the squad?" I jerked back in surprise. As much as I wanted a response I knew the sergeant wasn't gonna give me one. Lee attempted to bring him back but was halted by the captain.  
"No Lee...let him go."  
"But sir, he needs to stay with..."  
"He needs to be alone. Though he was our Hokage, he was his father. As with Private First Class Yamanaka, it's a devastating blow. Despite your rank Lee, Sergeant Sarutobi is at a point now where you couldn't do a thing to affect him or make him do something."  
"I see sir…"  
"Uncle!" Konohamaru grabbed his rifle and ran off to wherever his uncle had walked off to. I didn't watch the man so I had no idea. Though the captain stayed Lee's hand, he surprisingly let the private walk right by. I think even he understood that blood was thicker than water and if anyone had the right to talk to the sergeant, it'd be Konohamaru.  
The captain ran his hand through hair and let out a sigh of utter defeat. As soldiers and officers, we knew death was part of the territory, the necessary sacrifice to protect our loved ones at home. But the sacrifice was to be made by us, not by our own leaders and loved ones. They weren't the ones here on the battlefield ready to give their lives if they had to. It felt as if an invisible hand jammed itself right into our chests and pulled our hearts out one by one. Soldiers and NCOs muttered to themselves promising revenge upon the Sound and in frightening detail might I add. I worried for a small second about the POWs and soon enough a couple privates from an MP company came running towards the captain.  
"Sir! Sir!"  
"What is it private?"  
"Sir you better come with us. Some soldiers busted through and are trying to shoot the prisoners! A few of them are already severely beaten or wounded."  
"Shit…all right lead the way private." With the utmost urgency the captain took off to stop what could potentially turn into a humanitarian disaster. The first sergeant followed close behind, leaving us with Lee and Sergeant Morino. The two of them looked at each other, both not really knowing the proper thing to do or to order. Finally after a brief exchange of words the platoon sergeant faced us all.  
"2nd Platoon…fall back into your squads and…do something. Pull guard duty, resupply, I don't know just do something! We'll figure something out later." It was a rare moment that Sergeant Morino or any other NCO hadn't a clue as to what to do. Even Sasuke and Sergeant Mitarashi were clueless as to how to handle the situation so we scattered like little insects, each squad doing its own thing. Now I had to think of something.  
"Shikamaru…what do we do? I mean Sarutobi left you in charge."  
"Yeah well I don't really want to be. So…I say we find him."  
"You serious about that Shikamaru?" Toyama spoke up. "I mean I'm no psychic, but I could take a guess as to what not to do."  
"Well shit...I didn't want to be babysitter in the first place." That remark got a few scowls from the squad but I shrugged it off. "Honestly I don't care right now what you think. I mean our sergeant's now gone missing with no one tracking him and our medic is beside herself with our machine gunner acting as her cry pillow. I'm gonna go find the sergeant. Do whatever the hell you want to without me."  
"Fine! Maybe we will…" Toyama snarled back. "C'mon guys I guess the lazy one wants to be alone." Pretty soon the whole squad save for Temari departed leaving me standing there facing where Sarutobi went off while Ino continued to wail. Choji paid no attention to the little squabble I just had with the squad as he was too busy. Watching it all I just scoffed at it being so troublesome and stormed off.  
"Shikamaru wait!" The familiar female voice called to me, but I paid no heed. Instead I just picked up the pace to wherever I may have suspected Sarutobi to go. I could hear her boots slamming unevenly against the cobblestone and ruin catching up to me. Damn it...I didn't want her to follow. "Shikamaru..."  
"I'm not in the mood right now troublesome woman."  
"I don't give a shit I asked you to wait up."  
"Well I think what I just did before gave you your answer."  
"It wasn't the one I was looking for."  
"Well I'm not here to cater to your whims." I snidely retorted. "Last time I checked you were under my army's command not the other way around."  
"The hell is the matter with you Shikamaru?" She sternly demanded. She wasn't gonna back down from my dismissal that was for sure. I didn't answer...I didn't feel like answering. "Answer me damn it!"  
I just huffed and continued to walk off. That sure pissed her off as she got in my face while I still moved about.  
"See that's the fuckin' problem with you Shikamaru...you're always wrapped up with yourself in your own little world sometimes. You don't care about anyone but yourself and so you abandon the squad and your friends, with little regard to how your own sergeant is feeling right now and how he wants to be alone. Real honorable stuff Shikamaru...that's corporal material right there. Shit, you got me convinced that you're a real soldier with your attitude." Despite her ramblings she was slowly building a fire in me. "Still gonna say nothing asshole?" Then she shoved me which was pretty much the last straw." You son of a bitch, I asked you a fuckin' question and I expect a God damn answer you lazy, good for nothing..."  
Without warning I turned and slapped her right across the face, almost knocking her down. She just stood dead in her tracks as I cracked my knuckles. She tried to utter my name out but could only get the first syllable.  
"DON'T YOU EVER...!" I yelled right at her with my index finger in her face. "Tell me what to do! You are not the sergeant and I will certainly never take orders from a woman like you. You've been nothing but a nuisance since day one pushing my buttons and only giving me ulcers at a premature age! I'm going whether you like it or not...so back...the fuck...off!"  
I don't think I've ever yelled at her the way I just did in all the months I've known her so far. In fact, I was taken aback by the sheer action of slapping her. She just looked at me with utter shock, her lips trembling like she was about to cry but she was way too tough to do so.  
"Don't look at me like that." I muttered. She just turned in shame and walked away, probably broken if not broken-hearted. I don't think she ever saw that coming. I don't think I saw that coming. I was still rather irked but as I continued my step the guilt started to bite me in the ass.  
"Oh my God, did I just hit her? Why did I do that?" I whispered to myself. I wanted to turn and call her name but she wouldn't have heard me...she wouldn't have wanted to hear me. God damn it. "Shit Sarutobi, where in the hell are you? Sergeant? Sergeant, where are you?" I turned down an alley after hearing some rustling thinking someone was there. "Oh thank God sergea...nt..." Right there on a pile of rubble that came from a blasted-out wall...there he was along with his nephew.  
The poor man was crying and from the looks of it for about ten to fifteen minutes straight, not even noticing me as his equally grieving nephew sat beside him. Out of the year plus that I have come to know Sarutobi, the man has never shown any vulnerability, not an ounce, and here he was sobbing like a child. He was the rock of our squad, the moral foundation, and the toughest sum'bitch that we had ever known, and now I witness his sorrow. He was the man who young kids like me would look at and know that we would be all right under his watch. He carried the cruel fate of being the son of the now late Hokage, the Sound killing his father and the reality that there wasn't a thing he could do, that he couldn't be with his father in his last moments. Rumor from Sergeant Mitarashi and Sasuke was that he had a bit of a falling out with his old man, but he never lost his love for him. When I talked to him about it, he would tell me how he never really came to terms with the Hokage, but deep down inside the track record of service in the Leaf Army acted as recompense. He said he wanted to return home and have his father right there watching him in the victory parade. Looks like such a thing will never come to pass...what a drag.  
"Um..." I muttered until it hit me. How could I have been so selfish? The man just lost his father and I want to bother him about not wanting to watch over the squad. Temari was right...I was being a prick and I could now see why he had left me watching over 3rd squad. He didn't want his men and women seeing him like this. I wouldn't want the same thing with my squad if I were him. I got out of his eyesight and walked slowly back to the squad, my head down in utter shame. How was I going to go back to them? How was I going to approach Temari after what I just did? How could I have been so selfish to think that the sergeant was ok and that I didn't need to respect his time alone?

Ashamed of myself I walked off to another secluded alleyway, away from Sarutobi's sorrow and away from the guilt of seeing Temari. I found a lone chair facing the outside of Kusagakure. The wooden veneer was stripped and it looked slightly rickety but as I rested myself on it, it had a deceiving stability to it. I quickly tried to gather my thoughts.  
"_What a pain in the ass this all was. That woman gives me nothing but lip and now I'm feeling bad that I shut her up for once? Hell I've had to shoot and kill women before and I'm feeling the worst after a slap? Damn it Shikamaru what has gotten into you? Where has your more docile and lazy nature gone? You turned from spurning her comments on a regular basis to striking her?_" Once again I was kicking my own ass, knowing full well had that been Sakura or another woman I would've felt some satisfaction, but not her, not Temari. I just snapped at that one moment, killing so many other moments that we've shared something special. I sat and sulked for about ten minutes absorbing every ounce of pain, guilt, and regret that coursed through my veins.  
"Sarutobi...I'm sorry for being so selfish and not understanding your pain. Temari...I'm sorry. I'm really sorry I did that awful thing to you. I'm such an asshole for it. I just hope you can forgive me." As I tilted my head back my heart skipped a beat as I saw her face glaring at me with a fire I hadn't seen in a long time. "T-T-Temar..." Grabbing my hair she yanked me off the chair and threw me into the ground, the hard thud nearly knocking the wind out of me. A hard, blunt blow to my midsection from her foot ensured I wouldn't be breathing right. She grabbed my collar and with shocking strength she forced me up against the wall and took her rifle to my gut, the force nearly making me collapse but a fierce right hook took care of that already. I could taste the metallic flavor of blood in my mouth already as Temari wailed on me, my instincts telling me to fight back but my mind to full of guilt to do otherwise. I couldn't get a word out since all I could do is cough and gasp for air as she laid even more blows on me. It was about another minute of her pounding away and me not fighting back. Shoving me against the wall she slugged me one more time, the blow sending shockwaves through my jaw and skull. I was surprised I hadn't lost a tooth or anything after that beating. I was sprawled out but leaning against the wall, staring at the very girl I had hurt about a half-hour ago. She just stood there still glaring at me with a heavy breathing filled with rage and eyes that pierced through souls.  
"I..." I hacked up some blood and spit it out. "I...I'm sorry."  
She said nothing as she slowly turned and walked away, leaving me in agony and defeat. I just got my ass kicked by a girl and despite the utter failure I just received, I felt as if I earned it too. I hacked up some more blood crawling deeper inside the alley, my insides feeling like mashed potatoes and my head stirring with throbbing pain. It almost felt like I earned such a vicious beating.  
"T...Temaaariiii...you troublesome...woman..." I groaned out, "I'm sssssorrryyyy." Everything was starting to swirl and cave in on me. The darkness approached me once more and despite my best efforts to fight it, it was no use.

When my eyes opened I was back home in my kitchen, my mother's back turned to me as the smell of onions and cooked beef permeated throughout the wooden room. My father was busy reading the newspaper and seemed to pay no heed to me.  
"Mom? Dad?"  
The old man put down his newspaper. "Hey Shikamaru! You're just in time for dinner. Ma's making some delicious beef short ribs with sautéed onions along with all the usual fixings."  
"Ummmm...ok." I grabbed a seat and slowly sat down. Once again I was bereft of my rifle and even my uniform this time. Regardless I took a bite of the short ribs, the savory juices running down my jaw line as my napkin took care of the stains. It was delicious. It was something I haven't had in a long time since the war began as I finished the plate in under a half-hour. It didn't feel right but I couldn't help but enjoy the food, drink, and conversation with my parents, something a measly letter couldn't ever replicate. Then again, I wondered what the hell was going on and why I wasn't in Kusagakure lying and bleeding on the ground.  
"Did you like your meal Shikamaru?" My mother asked with a peculiar niceness about it. Usually she just demands I finish my plate and if not would guilt me into doing so.  
"It…it was delicious mom. Say where is everyone? I looked out the window and didn't see a soul."  
She just hummed a tune while picking up the dishes, completely ignoring my question. I could call her out on it but I was afraid of retaliation.  
"Say honey have ya seen the Yamanakas yet?"  
"No I haven't." My heart felt weird. I had to butt in.  
"Um, dad? Mr. and Mrs. Yamanaka are dead."  
"Nonsense son! In fact," a loud knocking came on the door, "I think that's them right now." The wrapping continued and got louder.  
"Aren't you going to get that mom? Dad?" Their behavior was starting to scare me. They were completely non-responsive to anything I was saying. After putting the dishes in the sink she walked back to sit right across from my dad, totally oblivious to me.  
"So glad to have you back Shikamaru."  
"Why do you say that? Where was I?"  
"Don't you know? You've been gone for almost two years."  
"Two years? Two years doing what?"  
"Long time Shikamaru. God help ya." My mother replied, not at all satisfying my inquiry.  
"Yes Shikamaru...you've been gone for so long. It's been dreadful having to leave you."  
"You didn't answer my question dad. What are you talking about?" The two of them just looked at me and stared. I was freaking out as they hadn't blinked in over thirty seconds. Shit got surreal again, and I hate surreal. Suddenly my heart skipped a beat as the familiar crack of those "Vengeance" rockets tore through the sky. A powerful rush of hot air blew through the room and forced the front door open. My jaw dropped when the tombstones of Ino's parents were at the door and fell to the floor with a deafening thud before cracking all over.  
"SHIT! Mom! Dad! We have to get to the basement now!" I tugged at my father's arm with all my might, but pulling him felt like pulling two tons. He wouldn't budge. "The hell is the matter with you dad?! I said we need to get to the basement now!" With a harder yank, I heard a terrible popping noise and in my hand I held a skeletal arm, the bone charred and blackened. I turned to see what was my father now turned into nothing more than a mangled skeleton. I nearly pissed my pants. "DAD!" The first explosion came from behind as I could hear the tearing apart of wood and earth along with screams...animal screams. They rang through my head like an unholy chorus as the images of the deer being vaporized, burned alive, or maimed flooded my thoughts. "MOM! Please listen to me! MOM!" The next crack felt like it was right above me. Everything went into slow motion as I caught the glimpse of the rocket breaking right through my home, landing right into the kitchen. The flames spewed in all directions enveloping my mother, melting her flesh and charring her bones instantly. Parts of the house vaporized, immolated, or got smashed to bits.  
"NOOOOOOOO!" I screamed as the flames licked at me, my skin and blood bubbling and boiling as another massive fireball went straight for my head. The heat was intense as everything went black.  
"NO!" I spewed out as blood trickled down my lips. It was another God damned nightmare. I can't seem to remember the last time I've been able to sleep peacefully and quite frankly that scared me to no end. I could see why the loonies in the crazy bin were always given narcotics. They say the dope prevents dreams from manifesting. Made me envy the nutty schmucks. That dream...that terrible nightmare to phrase it better, I couldn't get a hold of myself. I mean it was bad enough seeing the images of my comrades dead or dying, but my own parents incinerated by a rocket? That was too much. I laid down on my back and stared up into the blue sky were wispy clouds passed overhead.  
"What the hell is happening? What the hell is happening to me?"  
"NARA!" The familiar voice screamed to me catching me unawares. It carried the slight voice of grief and emotion but it had that authoritarian ring to it. It was the sergeant. "Nara is that you? What the hell are you doing lying there?" I struggled to get up but I felt like putty stuck to the ground. His footsteps got closer and closer as the second pair must've been his nephew.  
"S-s-sergeant..." I weakly muttered, stuttering almost as badly as Hinata.  
"Jesus Nara, you look like dog shit."  
"Got that right uncle...I mean sergeant." The kid nervously adjusted his wordage.  
"I feel like it sergeant."  
"What happened?"  
"You...you really don't want to know."  
"You can tell me later. C'mon lemme help you up. Whoever or whatever did this did must've gone to work on you and enjoyed it."  
"You don't...know the half of it sergeant." I think he might've taken a guess with who the culprit was but I wasn't going to give it away. After what I did I deserved the ass whooping. "You feelin' ok sergeant?"  
As he took some of the dead weight I carried trying to move, he stopped and sighed. "I saw you Nara. I told you to look after the squad but you went to find me instead." Shit, I was busted. "You were concerned for me after what the captain told us. I appreciate you trying to find me to comfort me...I really do." Well, maybe it's not so bad after all.  
"Wasn't anything sergeant. You'd do the same for us."  
"But, you disobeyed me. I asked you stay with the squad and you left them. That is unacceptable and if it was any other situation I'd have beaten your ass." I gulped. "But seeing how someone already felt like it I'll spare you. Besides, I like you Nara. If you were Uzumaki or that insufferable Sai I'd pound you into dust but it's you corporal. Don't leave your troops behind Nara. I know I did the same but I couldn't let them see me like I was before."  
"But are you..."  
"Am I ok corporal? Yes...yes I am. His death hit us all hard, Konohamaru and me especially, but now I'm madder than hell. No one knocks off a Sarutobi and lives to tell about it. We'll find the bastards who did this and I will take my hands around the neck of the man responsible and squeeze until his neck breaks. You'll be with me Nara to see it."  
"Sergeant?" Personally I was surprised by such a graphic depiction of vengeance but as stated before, his father just died and he wanted blood.  
"We'll get 'em Uncle Asuma...just you wait Corporal Nara, my uncle will get that son of a bitch Soundie." The sergeant turned to warn his nephew. "Um, sorry about that...sergeant."  
"This is surreal. What is happening?"  
"Shit is hitting the fan Nara. You thought it was troublesome now? Oh man...we are out of the frying pan now and into the fucking fire. They killed my father and the leader of Konoha. They have just incurred the wrath of the entire Leaf Nation."  
"I'm, I'm sorry sergeant. I'm sorry this had to happen and I'm sorry I disobeyed you."  
"Don't let it happen again." He sternly replied as I felt even guiltier. "Look Nara, don't beat yourself up since someone already did," Konohamaru chuckled, "and remember I appreciate your concern but you needn't worry about me...ever. I'll be around since you guys already perceive me as tough as nails and they do say perception is reality."  
"Ain't that the truth sergeant?" The private cheered to him.  
"Sure is. C'mon guys, let's head back to the platoon." Still helping my limping body, the sergeant supported me the whole way through like I knew he would. That's why he was the sergeant. That's why he was my mentor.

"Asuma!" Sergeant Mitarashi came running in to him, already noticing the dried streaks down the man's face where the tears rolled. "Asuma, you ok? We'll get those fuckers who killed your dad...our Hokage. We'll get 'em good!"  
Sasuke nodded in approval as did Sergeant Morino and Sergeant Saiki, the replacement 1st squad leader. Even Lee was there to lend a hand to the tattered sergeant and his nephew. That was one thing about the Leaf Army. We did have our differences, our backgrounds, our squabbles, our whatever, but we still worked as a team and acted like a family. Sarutobi knew his platoon was his outside family and he appreciated all the morale and support they wanted to give him. I limped to my squad where only Choji seemed to be concerned for my well-being.  
"Shikamaru! Jesus Christ what the hell happened?"  
"I don't even know..." I turned to Temari who had her back turned to me.  
"Well can you move around and are you still hurtin'?" Good old Choji. Even when the rest would turn traitor he was still behind me.  
"Still hurting Choji...a lot...I'll be all right though. It's a fuckin' drag but I'll be all right." The rest of the squad paid no attention to me as they went about their business. Temari just walked off which confused me and even her brother.  
"What the hell is with Temari?" Kankuro asked me from the side. "Did she do that to you?"  
"Long story...I gotta go after her though."  
"Please do. She looks hurt."  
"_You don't know the half of it pal._" I walked as best I could to Temari though I feared another beatdown. With courage though I approached her foot by foot. "Temari! Temari wait! I'm sorry ok? Is that what you wanted me to say?"  
She spat at my feet and continued walking away. "You don't get it do you? Don't talk to me Shikamaru." It felt like a bayonet through my heart.  
"Temari wait!" I hobbled over but had a hard time keeping up with the Suna firebrand. "Please...listen to me!"  
She stopped and spun around in the blink of an eye. "No! You listen to me! How dare you hit me like that! What kind of a man are you?"  
"I'm sorry ok? You beat the shit out of me in retaliation."  
"You still don't get it." She turned into a nearby cafe, one that wasn't a smoldering ruin, keeping me trying to play catch up.  
"No Temari...Temari!" I grabbed her and despite her resistance I actually fought back this time. "Please Temari listen to me. You were right. I was being selfish and I regret me hitting you. I'm just angry and worried that's all."  
"Aren't we all Shikamaru? Aren't we all? Please...your talk is cheap. You don't think I've been scared and angry since Gaara died? Since I picked up this very rifle all I've seen is nothing but carnage and death. You think pretty selfishly sometimes pal when you care for no one else's feelings but your own. You went off to find the sergeant, not even caring that his own father died, nor caring about your friends Ino and Choji, and you have the temerity to call me out for being a bitch to you?"  
"Ok now you're being condescending Temari. I'm offering you my sincerest apologies and instead once again I'm the punching bag."  
"That's because you deserve it! Get away from me!" She stormed off again even farther into the café room and once again I had to give chase.  
"Please Temari…you gotta listen."  
"Why should I listen? You really don't know what or how people think do you or what goes through their heads? You're like the village idiot of social interaction. I think that creepy engineer Sai is worse than you but still…"  
"I understand your anger Temari, but you need to hear me out. You don't really know what goes through my head sometimes so don't accuse me of all these things. I'm...I'm scared too Temari. Bombs just landed on Konoha and I'm scared to death over my parents. Ino's parents died without warning and now she's a wreck with only Choji to comfort her. I haven't even heard any word if my family and their livelihood are ok…not a peep! Scares me shitless! I said and did those things because quite honestly I'm frightened to death over now my parents' safety and yours. I saw the sergeant cry for the first time...cry! Never have I seen such vulnerability in a man I thought was fucking bulletproof. I was so intent on seeing him because I always looked to him for comfort and with him walking off like that and stranding us I just didn't know how to react and when I did it was a huge mistake. I acted horribly to you and the squad and I'm sorry." Despite all of my efforts I could feel a slight trickle running down my cheek. Damn it. Now I look like a puss...how bothersome. Despite the troublesomeness of it all, the look in her eyes turned slightly from animosity to some pity. Her hand reached out and even though I flinched initially fearing a slap or worse, I accepted it as she ran it along my cheek wiping the tear off.  
She tapped me on the cheek with her fingers and smirked arrogantly. "You're such a pussy crybaby."  
"And you're a cantankerous banshee. I'm sorry I hit you. I'll never do that again, I promise."  
"You promise with your life Shikamaru?" She squeezed my free hand firmly. All I could do is squeeze right back.  
"As long as I have a breath in my body Temari. Sure I hate your guts but I'll never hit you." She wrapped her arms around me and held me close. I couldn't understand this woman...it was almost like she was bipolar in her demeanor but I knew she cared for me.  
"You crafty son of a bitch. How I can't stay pissed at you I'll never know, but don't you ever do that again Shikamaru. I've taken hits from Gaara and Kankuro and I've toughed it out. I whooped your ass once and I can do it again."  
"Maybe next time I'll actually fight back troublesome woman." For a minute or two we rocked back and forth as miraculously it seemed that all was forgiven. I thought a man was always supposed to be stoic and stolid in front of a woman, especially an upset one. Looks like I failed that one in spades. Way to go Shikamaru...you pansy schmuck.  
"Are you excessively thinking to yourself again?" She whispered, the voice slightly muffled by my uniform. "You really need to work on that."  
"Easier said than done." With that she kissed me even if she got a little bit of my dried blood on her lips and cheek. "You need to work on not being so violent."  
She grinned smugly. "Easier said than done."  
To be completely honest with you, I was shocked that she had turned so loving after beating seven shades of shit out of me. "You're crazy do you know that? Why do you even do these things to me when I've only known you for almost a year?"  
With a soft tone she snickered at me. "Shikamaru, you're whining again. I should've told you I do those things to the man I love."  
"_Remember Shikamaru, even the fiercest woman is tender to the man she loves._" Those words of wisdom, if one wishes to call them that, from my father looped in my head like a broken record. I whispered in her ear as we still held each other, "You are a crazy woman…"  
Her lips moved closer to my ear. "I know…and you like that."  
We held each other close for a few more minutes wanting to take in the good vibes of forgiveness and understanding. Afterwards we realized that we had been away from the squad for too long and that even Sarutobi was going to get livid with the both of us, which of course was understandable. When we got back there was nothing left to do but triage and clean up. Luckily none of my friends were seriously hurt save for a few cuts and bruises, but of course the real victims were Sarutobi and Ino. The sergeant had let Ino and Choji off the hook allowing them to find a more private spot for our medic to grieve, and understandably so. If our sergeant could do it then so could Ino by that principle. I hope she'd bring herself back to normal soon though. Lord knows the pain she felt in her body, mind, and soul right now because I had no comprehension of...neither did Choji. I bet just like the sergeant though, she was madder than hell and wanted retribution.  
"Nara...Temari...there you are." The sergeant called out to us.  
"What's up sergeant?"  
"We're on the defensive again today Nara. Guard duty and cleaning our shit up. Damn rockets made the place more of a mess than our bombers have." For a man who had just lost his father he certainly got back into character rather quickly. "Engineers'll be cleanin' the place up while medics handle casualties all day. The rest of us ground pounders and tankers will be keeping watch. The Soundies were kind enough to leave some fuel drums for our tanks and some guns we can use as well." Not a hateful word in his speech nor a tone of outright lust for vengeance, the sergeant lacked both things. It was rather surprising to say the least.  
"Sergeant, you ok and everything?" Sugiyama inquired. Sarutobi with a wave of his hand dismissed such notions of concern.  
"No worries over me private. The brass will come up with the right way to deal with those murderous bastards but in the mean time we still have a job to do and I'll be damned if we're caught with our pants down. Got it?"  
"Yes sergeant!" We collectively rang out.  
"Toyama! Get Akimichi and Yamanaka. Tell 'em to get back to what they need to. I know it's gonna hurt for Yamanaka but I can talk to her after she gets here. Figures I'm the best man for the job. Akimichi on the other hand I want with Nakamura and Nakuza manning one of our posts. His time comforting our medic is over and now it's back to business. We're still at war ladies and gents. Get moving."  
"Yes sergeant." We once again replied in near unison. Toyama ran off to get Choji and Ino which I imagined would be a tough time doing considering Ino's grief and Choji's dedication to her. Another day of cleaning up and even greater mess, what a pain in my ass.

The building that my squad had holed itself was shockingly still standing. It took a near direct from one of the rockets and despite the fact the stairway and parts of the second floor we were on collapsed, the foundations still held firm. The skies were starting to cloud up and it was only past two o'clock. I had a bad feeling as to how the weather was going to treat us in the coming hours.  
"Well then," Temari broke the silence of the squad while staring at the ruined house, "shall we?"  
"Lead the way Temari." I facetiously sneered which garnered one of those "talk to me again like that and I'll peel your face off" looks from her. I couldn't help but smile.  
"Start with the outside first squad." Sarutobi interrupted. "We gotta clean up this mess and consolidate what supplies we have left. We'll house them in the nearby quartermaster's garrison, provided it's not a heap of rubble. Food and perishables are top priority followed by ammunition and then equipment."  
"Nice...janitor work." Nakamura sided to me which got a chuckle out but unwittingly grabbing the attention of the sergeant.  
"Yeah private it's janitor work and since you seem to be so keen on it, how about you start by grabbing some ammunition boxes and holding them up in the air until I say you're done ok?"  
Escorting Nakamura the sergeant made good on his threat by finding some .30 cal ammunition boxes for Choji and having the young buck hold them at arm's length.  
"Now don't you dare put them down until I say you can. The rest of you, get to work." And already he was showing signs of the wear and tear his father's abrupt death had manifested on his psyche. Normally he wouldn't punish a private for a remark like that and normally he wouldn't be so curt with the rest of us. We understood the pain he was going through but were apprehensive that it would last.  
"Sergeant, I thought you said you were ok." Being his corporal I felt like I could always be more one-on-one with him and not garnering his wrath with questions a private could get smoked for.  
"Yeah I'm fine Nara. Didn't you already ask me?"  
"Um, yeah I did sergeant but still."  
"Nara, don't worry about a thing. I'm perfectly all right. I think you have a good idea as to how I'm feeling right now but rest assured I'm not letting it get to me and the squad all right? I'll vent when it's appropriate and...Nakamura get those God damn arms up!" The struggling private hoisted the ammo cans right back up. Sarutobi's yelling already was a good sign that his claims were full of holes.  
"Sergeant..." I said even if he didn't hear me. If anyone didn't deserve such a fate to befall them it was Sarutobi. The man did no wrong to have karma or fate kick him in the stomach nor did he shame anyone in his squad, platoon, or company. The man was a moral beacon and now a cowardly attack destroys one of the pillars of his soul, his own father, the man who raised him. You can disagree or fight with your parents all you want but the bond remains, and the Hokage had a bond with all of us in Konoha, his death being the biggest of spirit crushers.  
"C'mon Shikamaru...let's just go." Temari pulled me along as I surmised she was either feeling what I was feeling or she could just pick it up.  
Hours passed as we figuratively tore the place asunder trying to scrounge up what materiel we could find that wasn't either obliterated or in disrepair. We were fortunate enough to find some ammunition and personal equipment that was relatively unscathed from the rockets, the biggest prize being spare barrels for Choji's machine gun. Another prize was a spare B.A.R. for Nakamura since he discovered his original rifle to be slightly warped from who knows what. Speaking of him, the sergeant finally let him go after about a half-hour or so of punishment. Sarutobi either got the vibe from his squad that he was being too harsh on the soldier or he got a small sprig of mercy back in his system. Regardless of which one the poor kid was relieved of the punishment and put back on the detail with the rest of us. It was bad enough we were beat up and bruised but this around the clock labor bullshit was going to make us plum exhausted. In the back of my head though, I knew it could've always been worse.  
Before she took off, Ino had spoken with the sergeant at his request. The two of them had a lengthy discussion and although Ino was still tearing up, Sarutobi told her she had a job to do and that if she needed to grieve some more, she would see him and away from the other soldiers. It wasn't really a dickish thing more than it was a matter of morale and operational environment. For her to bust out crying again would hurt the other soldiers and would sow fear into even the civilians. Sarutobi wasn't being a jerk. He was being an NCO, and NCOs have a job they must perform even under the worst of circumstances. Besides, the medics could have used all the help they could get since Hinata and the others were already working themselves to the bone treating all of the wounded civilians and soldiers alike. Naruto as expected pulled himself away to help Hinata as much as possible before Sergeant Mitarashi pulled him away by the ear, quite literally I might add. I myself wanted to speak with Sarutobi on a private level like Ino did, but it didn't feel like the right time at all, and knowing my oh so erudite manner of bringing up subjects that don't fly with people well, it'd be best for another time.  
"Ok 3rd it's time for a break. You guys have been workin' hard to take ten and relax. If anyone wants to go help out Yamanaka and the medics feel free to do so, otherwise rearm yourselves and smoke 'em if ya got 'em, because I'm gonna." The sergeant's words were like candy to us. Nothing made the day for a hard-working soldier who has been sweatin' for a few hours better than the rest order from an NCO. While Sugiyama and Asano walked off to help Ino I sat up against one of the more intact walls while Temari took the chair over in the corner. The sergeant walked off to take another smoke break, no surprise to us.  
"Sitting on your ass the moment you get the go-ahead, typical Shikamaru."  
"Always accommodating to sarcastic jabs my friend, that's what I'm here for."  
"Mind if I park my ass near ya buddy?"  
"Not if you don't crack the floorboards with your fat ass." I quickly snapped albeit in jest. He just smirked and sat down. "Man I am starving."  
"Now you know I'd lay it into ya with the whole eating thing but seeing how Sarutobi made you the workhorse of the squad I feel a little more understanding than usual."  
"Oh well thank you for your sympathy Sure Shot."  
"What have I said about that particular moniker?"  
"Can't remember...sorry..." Toyama laughed at Choji's silliness. I was going to but managed to hold it in.  
"Meathead."  
"That's how it is Shikamaru you should know that by now. You're the snarky brains while I'm the tough muscle. All we need is Ino's female charm and healing touch and we've got ourselves the unbeatable Ino-Shika-Cho trio."  
"Stop it. You sound like our parents." We both laughed for few seconds before the grim reminder hit us like an oncoming freight train. Mr. and Mrs. Yamanaka...they were gone. We were never gonna see them again.  
"Shit..."  
"You're thinking about Ino's parents huh?"  
"Yeah. Why Ino, Shikamaru? Why her of all people? She didn't deserve it."  
"I know she didn't. Nobody deserved to lose their loved ones, especially her and the sergeant."  
"The Hokage. I can't believe he's dead as well. I mean who's gonna take his place?"  
I sighed heavily. Nothing like a power vacuum to really complicate matters for a nation hell bent on ridding the world of Sound tyranny. "Well if I had a hazard to guess, Colonel Tsunade was already on her way to being promoted to General, so in a pinch they'll put her in. Outside of that maybe one of the other generals but if I had to make a bet, it'd be her."  
"Really? Colonel Tsunade? We've never had a female leader in office...ever! Would they actually do that?" Nakamura asked in innocent disbelief. He was right. It was unheard of to have a female kage. The Mizukage maybe but that was due to royal bloodlines, not electoral processes.  
"Well," I turned my attention to the private who was perched atop a table along with Nazuka and Toyama, "she is a rather capable officer and perhaps one of the best we've got out there right now. I could see her taking the helm. She'd be a good fit as the new Hokage."  
"Time will tell on that one I guess." Choji added which ended that inquiry rather nicely.  
"You Leaf soldiers are lucky." Temari butted in as she kicked her legs back and forth while twiddling her thumbs. "At least you have someone that can become your leader again. Things aren't that fortunate back in my country. Maybe when the war ends we'll get a new Kazekage but as long as the Sound's still out there I can't go back home, that is if there still is a home for me to return to." Her sadness struck pity in all of us. It was something my mother told me whenever I whined incessantly, that there was always someone worse off than you, and right now she was still worse off than I could ever be.  
"Still...poor Ino." Choji brought the subject right back to her which I expected. "I did all I could to be there for her, but deep down I still don't think I did a thing."  
"Her parents died Choji. You could've had rainbows coming out yer ass and it still would've done jack shit, but at least you tried which I'm sure you feel some satisfaction over."  
"Yeah I guess so. Damn it...I should've done more."  
An awkward minute or two or three passed as I looked at his worn and worrying face. Suddenly I couldn't fight the temptation anymore for reasons even I couldn't comprehend. "She likes you, you know."  
He did a double-take. "Wait what?"  
Immediately regretting my actions after making the promise to Ino, I struggled to play it off but my utterance created a spark in Choji's eyes the likes I have never seen. Shit even when we've gone to the local barbeque haunt and he's got a plethora of meats and snacks at his table he never had the look he does now. I might as well just fess up to him and pray I can trust him enough to keep his clap trap shut about the issue, at least while Ino is the way she is right now.  
"Ugh...damn it all. Can I talk to you off the record, and can you promise you won't say a damn word?"  
"Scout's honor Shikamaru..."  
"Good...c'mon Temari let's move for a second."

The three of us moved to a more secluded part of the house shutting and locking the door behind us, a door surprisingly still sturdy no less, so the rest couldn't listen in or follow.  
"What did you say before...about Ino?"  
"You know how you lost all that fat and have made attempt after attempt with her?"  
"Yeah...so?"  
"Well, even if your pea brain didn't pick anything up from it, it worked."  
"How do you know this?" He had every right to be skeptical. When we were younger I'd play mind games on him when I wasn't feeling so lazy not to and when I needed a good laugh.  
"She told me herself."  
"I don't believe you. That's not funny Shikamaru."  
While fiddling in my pockets, I remembered the notes I stuffed in while Ino was going to the bathroom. "Ok then buddy, maybe this will be proof positive for you." Shuffling through the crumpled papers, I found the appropriate one still intact and still legible. "Hope it's not too much to swallow."  
He nervously grabbed it from me but recognized it as Ino's handwriting. He knew I would've found it too troublesome, especially during the middle of a damn war, to do something as cruel as forge a note. His hands shook which rather surprised me but I always knew the big man as a softy. "Oh my God..."  
"So there you have it. Your efforts haven't been in vain big guy." He didn't know whether to have a shocked or elated look on his face, as if his mind was a swirling maelstrom of confusion and emotion.  
"She's falling in love with me...she really is! Oh buddy...this is the best thing you coulda ever done fer me!" His bear arms wrapped around me and squeezed so hard I thought I heard a rib crack. Temari snickered playfully as she felt some shared joy with Choji. Happiness was a luxury item nowadays and even if deception and secrecy were necessary to bring it out, then so be it.  
"Ch...Choji...lemme go...I'm dying." It was bad enough my insides felt tenderized thanks to Temari beating my ass, but he was ignorant of the fact he wasn't helping.  
"Congrats Choji. You've earned it unlike some lazy bastard I know."  
"You're...not helping...Temari."  
"She loves me! I can't believe it...Shikamaru!" It was the best news he's heard in years and little old me, the cynical Shikamaru, was the harbinger of it. Ain't irony an interesting thing? "Oh my, I cannot wait to see her."  
"NO!" I blurted out.  
"Why? Why can't I?"  
I turned my head downward and to the side. "I told her that I wouldn't tell a soul. Looks like to bring happiness to one friend I have to betray another." His big mitt landed on my shoulder as he grinned with his hand "zipping his lips."  
"I won't say a word Shikamaru. As the note said, it's all about the perfect moment."  
"Yeah...the perfect moment." My mind, being the troublesome busybody it was, recalled Naruto's use of that phrase in his planned proposal to Hinata. "I gotta tell you though Choji..."  
"Yeah, what's up pal?"  
"Now that you know this, you realize what's going to have to happen right?"  
"No...what?"  
"Like Naruto with Hinata, she's your responsibility now. I mean yes protecting all of your comrades is the responsibility of every Leaf soldier, but now she's under your special care. You know she cares for you and you yourself would give your life for her."  
"Damn right I would."  
"That being said, you have an obligation to be there for her now more than ever. She lost her family tragically and now we're all she has, especially you. Things have been easier for you living in the realm of possibilities with those you want affection from, but now we're in the realm of certainty, and now it's time to man up." Listen to me. When the hell did I ever become the man of motivational speaking? I swear to God Sarutobi fucks with my head sometimes more than I think.  
"Ya know, you sound more and more like the sergeant every day. Maybe you will make sergeant one day buddy."  
"Please, don't remind me. It's troublesome."  
"Everything's a bother to you Shikamaru."  
"Can I keep it that way? I rather enjoy it."  
"Right...of course buddy." I opened the door as he folded the note and stuffed it in his blouse pocket. "Oh and Shikamaru," I turned to see a wide grin on his face staring right at me, "thanks again. You have no idea how much I appreciate this."  
I nodded in reply. "Of course. You're my best friend."  
Asano came running to us huffing and puffing. "Hey guys! C'mon we gotta move! The LT wants us in the town hall on the double!" We looked up as the distant roar of thunder boomed around us and the sky started clouding.  
"The weather's gonna get real shitty too I can tell." Temari added. "C'mon let's roll."  
The town hall was crowded with a healthy mix of medics, tankers, soldiers, and officers all trying to keep within their respective ranks. I noticed some of the MPs I scuffled with before along with Able Company's tankers and First Lieutenant Uzuki with her Rangers. Sarutobi and the rest of us were crammed in there sweating to death, waiting for a good hour and a half while the rain starting smacking the windows outside. The captain busted in looking like he had just got in a big fight. It must've been from trying to stop those pissed off soldiers going after the POWs. I hoped those poor Soundies were ok. Sure they were our enemy but I stuck by Sarutobi's words. With him was Major Shizune who must've sped here as quickly as possible upon hearing the news of the rocket attack on Kusagakure. It took a few minutes but the crowd chatter died, leaving only the rumbling of thunder outside as ambiance. How fitting it was that a storm was outside the same time we were planning our revenge, a rather symbolic comparison to how we felt towards the Hokage, the rain our sorrow, and the thirst for retribution at the Sound, the thunder and lightning's ferocity matching our feelings.  
"Citizens of Konoha!" The major raised her arms to get all eyes on her. "By now all of you know of the tragedy to befall us. It's a terrible blow to us all, but it's not a mortal blow and let that be known! Colonel Jiraiya and General Tsunade," I raised an eyebrow finding her sudden promotion rather interesting, "cannot be here right now since one is still formulating plans for Amekagure and the other back in Konoha, but rest assured I bring their message to all of you. We will not take the death of our leader sitting down and we will make the Sound and Akatsuki pay for their transgressions. We have discovered the locations of these rocket sites to be in the Rain Nation, the accursed Rain Nation that still bears the scars of the Great War." Some of the soldiers shuddered when the Great War was mentioned and I didn't blame them. "These abominable weapons which slaughter soldier and civilian indiscriminately are being produced in several sites dotted along the eastern border of the Rain Nation. The man responsible, according to our intel, is an Akatsuki terrorist known only by the name Deidara, a sick and depraved man that epitomizes the tyranny the Akatsuki represents. I can tell you right now, by the time we're through with our attack he'll wish he was never born!" Cheers erupted from the mob, typical of those crying for more blood as the cycle of violence would continue once again. "The plans are laid out and the missions will be difficult but that is why I'm here. Many of you had friends and loved ones who perished or were hurt horribly by the dozens of rockets hitting Konoha that still launch as we speak. We've gotten in touch with some of the Water airborne commandos, also victims of the Vengeance rocket attacks, and we are planning joint strikes on these sites. Now what I ask of you is this, who amongst you will join them and strike back at the Sound right in their own backyard?"  
The room became silent. Despite the wanting of vengeance, no one would jump up and raise their hand. It took a minute but sure enough...someone did.  
"Ma'am! Lieutenant Yugao Uzuki of 4th Platoon, Charlie Company of the ANBU Rangers will be your first volunteers! Wanna get some payback boys?" The men behind him whooped in elation.  
"Ma'am! Captain Hiroki Kuroda of King Company gladly volunteers his forces to be used at your disposal."  
"Please don't raise your hand sir." I whispered to myself, begging Lee not to do it. I was expecting more volunteers, even looking at the sergeant, but alas nothing. Then again I wasn't surprised Sarutobi didn't do anything. He wasn't like that.  
"Is that it? Will no one else answer the call? I understand your hesitancy to do so, but if we were to strike back for murdering our Hokage, now is the perfect opportunity. Anyone else."  
I kept whispering to myself. "Don't raise your hand Lee...please don't raise your hand Captain Hatake."  
"I say again, will anyone else answer the call?" Suddenly, two hands raised in unison which startled me, Choji, Ino, and even Temari.  
"Ma'am!"  
"Ma'am!"  
"Sergeant Anko Mitarashi of 4th squad, 2nd Platoon..."  
"And Staff Sergeant Asuma Sarutobi, of 3rd squad, 2nd Platoon, Fox Company..."  
"Will answer the call and strike back at the enemy. We will make them pay for what they did to Konoha and the Hokage."  
"_I_...will make them pay for what they did...to my father."


	34. Chapter 34

"S-Sergeant

"S-Sergeant?" Ino asked rather timidly as we were caught off-guard by Sarutobi's rather sudden decision to join the quasi-clandestine operations on the Akatsuki rocket bases.

"You heard me right Private Yamanaka. Anko," him meaning Sergeant Mitarashi of course, "and I want in on this and so 3rd and 4th are now part of this."

"_Why me? Why is it always me?_" I lamented to myself being dragged into another pain in the ass situation yet again.

"Shut up and stop whining corporal." He barked to me as if the man was a friggin' psychic. Figured he'd been around me so long he could read me like an open book sometimes. "You're doing this whether you like it or not. You're not gonna puss out on me are you Nara?" He had a certain glare to him that looked mean on the superficial level, but on the inside was oddly amicable and encouraging like a football coach to a skilled player.

"No…no sergeant."

"That's what I wanted to hear."

"Sergeant Sarutobi, Sergeant Mitarashi, I appreciate your devotion to the cause, but we cannot just isolate squads out of entire platoons and companies to the four corners of the earth." Lee was certainly not pleased how two of his own squads wanted to break off and do their own thing. I'm sorry let me rephrase that. He wasn't pleased that two sergeants, since of course I wanted nothing to do with this, wanted a piece of the troublesome action.

Another company had volunteered themselves but that was about as much as we were going to get. The armor companies were useless in these operations and it wasn't like the docs or the MPs were gonna be of any use as well. The major spouted some more brass crap before the parties went their separate ways, yet Fox Company stayed along with the Rangers. The wind howled through the cracks of the town hall while the rain spattered loudly along the walls and windows, at least those mostly intact.

Oddly enough, the captain and Major Shizune seemed to have no qualms, which of course didn't bode very well for me. Underneath Captain Hatake's mask, I swore I saw a faint smile dismissing Lee's concern.

"Lieutenant, while we understand your concern for not having your platoon piecemealed, the need for volunteers is great and two of your sergeants answered the call. You needn't worry. Fox Company will not engage in any major operations whilst this is going on. Besides, I have a good idea where to send your two squads. There's a smaller, more remote facility that's too small for a company sized element to infiltrate along a small mountain pass alongside the southeast border in the Rain Nation. An element of two squads with maybe a few others would be perfect."

"But what about integrity ma'am?" Lee protested. I certainly hoped he had a better argument than just that.

"Like I said, you needn't worry." Usually when the brass said something like this it meant that either they'd be ok just doing their own thing without us, or worse, meaning that if we were all to get killed that they'd have ample replacements for Fox Company. I loved the subtle ways the officers always spoke in. Now I knew why a straightforward man like First Sergeant Guy never became an officer. Ironic how his little protégé Lee turned out the exact opposite of him in the military sense, him becoming the zealous lieutenant instead of a budding, hard-charging NCO right under the first sergeant's wing. Instead he took the captain's tutelage. Lee shrank in like a scared snail and slinked away towards the rear of his platoon to probably get some advice from Sergeant Morino.

"Ma'am," Sergeant Mitarashi stepped up with an inquiry in a rather bold but expected fashion, "will it be just us two squads going in?"

"I'm not completely certain sergeant, but there's a good chance you'll be linked up with one of the Water Airborne detachments since they're spearheading this whole operation. It's a risky gambit having a force of about twenty-five or so, but given the size and geography that's the best we can do. I'm sorry we cannot give you more detail. The Sound have security tighter than a vice grip and our intelligence can only do so much."

"Dragsville…" I whispered to Temari. She just rolled her eyes. I looked over to see Ino tightening her grip on her rifle, the melancholy look on her face still the same but deep down I bet her mind, heart, and soul were bursting at the seams with anger, hatred, and excitement. I then looked at my buddy Choji with the hope that he'd be able to be the bedrock for her after all this. I mean, after learning of the tragic deaths of your parents at the tender age of twenty-two, such opportunities to exact revenge were as rare as a diamond in the rough, and boy wouldn't ya know it? Looks like she found herself a diamond, thanks to Sarutobi's equivalent lust for payback and surprising request to volunteer. Just when I thought I might've been spared getting into the real thick of it for a short while, my comrades decide to pull me right back into the fire. Sometimes I think some supernatural force just decided to hate me the day I was born.

"Cut it out Nara." Sarutobi quickly snapped to me once again picking up my discontent through supernatural means. "We're doin' this whether you like it or not."

"Great…"

"Aw c'mon Shikamaru," Toyama slapped me across the back startling me some, "don't ya wanna get back at those bastards?" His enthusiasm in all this along with some of the other soldiers like Naruto's was all too disconcerting. Was I the only one here with a sense of self-preservation or am I just one big coward? Actually…upon retrospect with the past few battles some could say the latter didn't apply.

"N-Naruto...don't g-g-go. If you d-do I wa-wanna go with you." Hinata protested, apparently what I thought would be the other voice of reason was more the voice of stark concern for her lover. He turned and brushed her cheek with his bandaged hand.

"Hey you don't worry about a thing doll face. It's Naruto Uzumaki yer talkin' to. Remember what I told ya back after Kumogakure? Remember after all those things you said to me and how I heard 'em and I promised you I'd never leave ya...never on my watch?"

She nodded shakily. "N-N-Naru...t-to."

"Hey...Hinata. I love you and I'll be all right. I'll come back to you." He kissed her right on the lips in front of everyone, not a care in the world went through his head. He was dead set on living up to that pledge he confessed to me. From the corner of my eye I thought I saw Kankuro and Tenten exchanging glances but I wasn't sure nor did I really care all that much.

"_Sappy bullshit…_" I thought seeing Naruto put on the stage performance to his paramour. I felt for the kid I really did, but sometimes it makes me rather sick.

"We'll have a couple engineers added to your squads along with the Water's own." The captain sided. "You'll most likely be under the authority of the Water Airborne, but I don't see a problem with that now right Anko?" He looked at her specifically given her penchant for insubordination towards other officers not in her platoon or company.

She was taken aback slightly. "Um…no sir. Not a problem at all."

He grinned smugly. "Good. We'll have a briefing for you ready within the next hour or two. It won't be the best but we're working with limited intel."

"All the volunteers, once briefed, will receive transport back to the Water HQ where we have a small detachment waiting. In the mean time consolidate your things and say your goodbyes for now ladies and gentlemen. This won't be an easy assignment and God bless those who stepped up to the plate. I myself need to get in contact with Colonel Jiraiya since I'm sure he'll have more details waiting. Captain Hatake, the floor is yours." After a crisp snap to attention from the captain, Major Shizune stepped outside to wherever she intended to go, leaving us and a few other outside elements in the building while the rain continued to pour.

"Hey Shikamaru, should I say something to Ino?" The large man asked me with a look of almost naive anxiety. "I mean she looked pretty tense when Sarutobi volunteered us for the mission, like she was just brooding over everything."

"I'd be a liar if I said she was hunky dory Choji. Right now she's still madder than hell and in rare form, Ino wants blood…Akatsuki blood. It might not be the best time ok buddy?"

He looked disappointed. "Yeah…I understand." Since I broke the news to him he was like a dog staring right at a T-bone steak, hungry for satisfaction and comfort. Regardless of what I said he had to be patient with her, when the time was right. I was always a man of strategy and I was taught that timing was one of the key cornerstones to a keen plan. That's what Choji needed, the right timing. While not nearly as impulsive or brash as Naruto, he's jumped the gun only to get egg on his face multiple times.

Already I could feel my heart pumping in anticipation. It was such a bother for my heart to keep doing this to me since I knew down the road this would spell disaster for my personal health. Temari seemed to not be sympathetic with my lament as she rolled her eyes once more and gently shoved me. I have to give the dame some credit for resisting my cynicism, which of course in her mind was childish bullshit but not in mine. That's what made her a pain in the ass, but I still love her.

The rookies were gabbing on and on about all this. To them this must've been some super-cool, Office of Strategic Services shit or ANBU Ranger shit, but to us veterans it was going to be a more than bumpy ride. Even Ino and Sarutobi with their pent-up anger knew it was going to be ugly as was everything with this misbegotten war. This had trouble written all over it.

Konohamaru, the young buck private who happed to be Sarutobi's nephew, ran up to him in a rather eager fashion. "Thanks Uncle Asuma..."

He turned his head to him with an eyebrow raised.

"Oh...I mean sergeant. Thanks for gettin' us in on this mission. I wanna get those assholes for what they did to grandpa! You an' me'll get 'em good. I'm with you all the way right boss?" He turned to Naruto enthusiastically who despite his own eagerness knew better than to make an ass out of himself in front of the sergeant.

"Of course Konohamaru. We'll get those Soundies good. Believe it!" There he was with that stupid fucking catchphrase again!

"My rifle's already quiverin' sarge!"

Sarutobi patted him on the head lightly. "Settle down private. We'll talk about this off-line all right? In the mean time get back to your sergeant before she comes barking at me and the last thing I want is that troublesome broad breathing down my neck for one of her soldiers." Ha. The man just took a page right out of my quote book. Gotta love the sergeant...

"Shit, there she is."

"You tryin' to steal my soldiers Asuma? What'd I tell ya about that?"

"I'm not tryin' to steal shit Anko," he lit up a cigarette and puffed it out in a relaxed fashion. Soon the strong scent of tobacco and nicotine wafted through the air, "so quit yer bitchin'. God you're always on my case."

"Wouldn't be fun if I wasn't ya grump." Sergeant Mitarashi, being the young firebrand sergeant she was, loved to poke at Sarutobi more than any other NCO. Sergeant Morino had too much of a mean streak, Yamato was at the level where she couldn't touch him no matter how hard she tried, the first sergeant was...well he was the first sergeant, and she didn't really seem to bother with Sasuke probably because the equally fiery Sakura was always at his side. Some say she might've been a little flirtatious with the sergeant, but being him he rose above the young woman's antics and played it off with slight annoyance. He was a man after my own heart.

He sighed. "Whatever. Take your little kids back Anko and leave me to my own. I gotta talk with my corporal anyway so amscray."

She scoffed right back at him. "You're no fun Asuma, and when ya do wanna relax you're never down with what I want."

"Hey Anko, Asuma Sarutobi does as he pleases, and there's only one lady who tells him otherwise."

"Oh yeah...her. How's she doing anyway?"

"Well she's elated to get my last letter." Sarutobi had mentioned a significant other but never bothered to tell me, Choji, or Ino her name. I heard she was beautiful regardless. Good for Sarutobi snatchin' a fetching broad like as described. I bet unlike Sergeant Mitarashi, Sakura, or the ever-bossy Temari, she was nice, patient, and easy-going, something to perfectly complement Sarutobi's gruff and hard-charging but patient and cool manner. He let out a sigh that felt like it was mixed with relief, sorrow, and the lingering aura of outright concern. "She's all right from what I heard…but you needn't concern yourself with her."

"Ok. Hey Asuma, rumors were circling around that when we got back from Takigakure she paid you a visit and well you know…"

"Know what?"

"How about a little scoop eh Asuma? Or lemme guess, you don't kiss and tell do you?" She kept prodding him to the point of outright irritation, but unlike me he didn't show it. "The mill spun around so fast some people even said that right now she's…"

"She's just fine and that's all you need to know Anko. Seriously, don't you have soldiers to watch over and a duty above being a gossip?"

She just huffed immaturely and walked off hauling Naruto and Konohamaru with her. Sarutobi took another drag from his smoke as I tried not to cough when the smoke hit my face.

"A little heavy-handed don't ya think sergeant?" I asked seeing his rather biting reaction to her.

"Woman gets on my nerves sometimes. She's a damn fine NCO and would make some man happy, but what a pain in my ass sometimes. I never told you the story of when we were both privates and she suckered me into sneaking off base to get beers and for her to hit on guys. Well in typical fashion she had too much to drink and despite my best efforts to stop it she still decided to get in a fight with these three patrons. Kicked their asses that's for sure but left me with a bump on my noggin from a bottle and some bruises the size of my fist. We then got busted by our platoon sergeant and spend the next three days doing KP and physical punishment when we weren't doing KP. I swear Nara that woman has gotten me into more troublesome incidents then you could count. The only reason she still does this shit to me is because unlike Sergeant Morino or Sergeant Uchiha I can tolerate it. You think that's a heavy-handed response? Please Nara…I'm being nice to her. Had I been Sergeant Morino you'd see fire and brimstone."

"Ha. I guess I understand now sergeant."

"Good boy Nara."

"I'm not a dog sergeant." I smartly replied.

He chuckled. "No…no you're not, but you are my corporal Nara so I can consider you a faithful companion somewhat like a dog." I loved Sarutobi's modesty when he laughed at his own wisecracks.

"A class act sergeant…a real class act."

"What was that corporal?"

"Nothing sergeant." I zipped up the mouth quickly.

"Still get all antsy when I change tone Nara. My, my how some things never change."

"Change is troublesome sergeant, you know that." When I said it I was more or less implying my ascension through the ranks but I'd like to see if he caught onto it.

"And you never will change Nara, but then again I never asked you to. Cigarette?"

I respectfully declined. "No thanks sergeant...I don't feel quite manly enough for one yet."

"You crack me up Nara." His laughs spewed small puffs of smoke every time he exhaled. "Not manly enough yet...ha...soon Nara. You'll get your shot at manhood real soon."

"Don't remind me please..."

"Sergeant? When are we gettin' chow? I'm famished?" Choji inquired with the enthusiasm of a ten-year-old. Sarutobi and I looked glanced at each other, really not surprised at all with Choji.

"Settle down now Mr. Ox." His hand gesturing him to get Choji to stop figuratively bouncing off the walls. "Chow won't be for another fifteen minutes or so. How's about we get back to our little shelter, grab our coats, and the grub will be here in no time? Sound good 3rd squad? Figures we'll need a good meal before we head off to the Water Airborne."

"Oh man...I heard their food is worse than dog shit!" Sugiyama moaned. We all laughed because she was probably right. The Water Nation wasn't exactly known for its fine cuisine despite their aura of sophistication. I mean crudely made food and their quirky lingo for even the simplest of dishes would set off even Choji. No wait...I take it back. He'd slug anything down his gullet. Me on the other hand, I had a little more taste than that and the Water's cuisine was less than subtle. I mean I could have a simple snack or a plate of beef now and then, but their food wasn't for that of the refined.

"All right...all right...settle down guys. I know they'd rather have a tea instead of a good old coffee and some fuckin' crumpets instead of bread but they're our friends. I'm sure they all think we're some backwoods schmucks but since we'll be fighting together, I suggest we play nice ok?"

"Yes sergeant."

"Good. All right my little children, run like hell back to the house and grab your wet weather shit. Chow's comin' any minute now by the time we get back and we're not gonna wait in the pouring rain now are we?"

"No sergeant!"

"That's what I like to hear...the smart answer. Now let's get!" Without delay we sprinted right out the door past everyone else through the rain which had settled at first but upgraded itself back to full shower. The thunder and lightning was gone which was always a plus.

"Oh man, oh man, oh man…I want food!"

"You always want food you fat idiot." It was the first words Ino had sputtered out in about seven to eight hours since that mental bomb was dropped on her. We were taken slightly aback from the rather scathing remark but relieved that she hadn't become a complete mute.

"Glad to see you're back with us Ino."

"Well...someone has to look after the large one I guess and you're too lazy to do it Shikamaru."

"And you've got your patented lip back too! I'd be cautious missy."

"Bite me. I'm just talkin' so I don't go nuts keeping it all in. Once we're down in Rain country I want some fuckin' blood and ain't no one gonna stop me."

Choji and I were alarmed with Ino's change in attitude, but it takes a significant event, like the death of one's parents at the hands of your enemy for example, to really alter your demeanor. I would imagine her keeping closer to the sergeant than ever before. The food trucks had the extra special consideration to stop right in the pouring rain so while they unload the rest of us just stood there like goons waiting for the vittles. C Rations...just lovely. Figures the cooks don't wanna huddle inside the town hall or another big building and start making a warm meal, but then again this is my life we're talking about. Very few things ever go my way.

"Aw son of a bitch! C Rations?"

"You're fuckin' lucky they're not recycled food stuffs or cold soup Akimichi! Now just grab them and let's scoot!"

"Well hold on sergeant," I tapped the sergeant lightly, "he is Choji Akimichi after all. The man will eat anything if the cooks gave it to him." Sarutobi got a laugh out of that one.

"Well said Nara. All right squad let's get the hell back before our food gets even worse." He was right. The boxes holding the rations were already starting to get weak and Asano had a few of his already spill out. Luckily Sugiyama and Toyama stopped to help him out since the little guy's arms definitely couldn't hold everything including his rifle. The cobblestones mixed with rubble made it hard to keep ones balance as the rain continued to drop. Despite our wet weather gear the rain soaked through some parts of our clothing. My boots felt like sponges, but I guess it hasn't been the first time that's happened. I remember wading through tiny ponds and slogging around in marshes during the initial involvement Konoha had in this war.

"Shit! My smokes!" Sarutobi panicked as his cigarettes dropped from his arms but in a clutch move Ino had just enough time to save them from a small puddle.

"Would've been a damn shame eh sergeant?" She asked him with a smug grin as she cradled the cigarette pack with her hand before giving it up to Sarutobi.

"Yamanaka...you do that again and I think I might have to promote you to Technician. Well done."

"Can we hurry please? I'm starving!" Ino, Sarutobi, and I just turned to Choji and shook our heads as we shuffled back into the semi-ruined building. Finding a dry spot was difficult what with the cracked ceilings and blown-out walls, but we made due with what little dry space we had.

"So what'd ya get Choji? The fuckin' filet mignon and mashed potatoes?" Toyama teased.

"Shaddup." Fiddling through the box he struggled to read the cans but was pleased with what he got. "All right! Pork and rice. They'll go well with the crackers."

"Even if the crackers taste like sawdust..." Nakamura commented garnering a nod or two from the squad. "Hmmm...not bad. I got myself pork and beans."

"Temari?" I had forgotten about her for a second but she seemed to pay no mind.

"I have...'Meat and...Noodles.' Huh...guess it's better than wet, soggy food eh?" Temari in the past has had some of our rations and while she bitched and moaned a couple times, it was more to annoy me than to actually criticize the food. She and her people lived off of scraps and when we saw them initially it looked it. Now with the Leaf Army she and her brother were definitely able to properly nourish themselves.

"Smartest thing I've heard in a while Temari." She then hucked the can of beans at me, bouncing off my arm but she had herself a good arm. I could tell because it hurt a little as I tossed it right back.

"At least it came with these caramels. They're quite good and remind me of when I was a little kid always trying to get into the caramels my mom hid and the three of us," meaning the Sand Siblings, "would always search the place with a fine-toothed comb to get them. One time that idiot Kankuro got into a whole jar and was sick for the rest of the day. I just sat there and laughed even if I was only eight. Ah how things as simple as taste can bring out complex memories."

"Ha. Good one Temari." Ino chortled. "If that's the case then Choji's got the whole concept on lockdown. That lug's got more memories of food than he does of anything else." It was good to see Ino in better spirits but if Choji and I had a hunch she was still hurting, albeit making an attempt to hide it.

"How about you crybaby?" Temari sniggered at me.

"Meat hash. Not the most ideal meal but it's something I guess."

"Well open and eat it guys unless you want to starve. All right now let's see what the box has for me...score! My favorite cigs! Luckies!" The sergeant was elated to have once again another fresh supply of those cancer sticks. "Hey anyone that doesn't want their cigs I suggest handing them right over. It's your squad leader first, then your back alley deals all right?" Everyone save for Temari, Nakamura, and Nazuka coughed them up. "All right, that'll last me a good while." I sometimes wondered how long "a good while" meant to the sergeant. Did it mean a week? Did it mean two? Did it mean just two or three days? I swore the man went through cigarettes like a fat kid…or Choji...through cookies. I felt sorry for his significant other since I imagined it was like kissing an ashtray.

"Temari? What's the deal...you starting it up now?" I asked giving her shit at the same time.

She scoffed. "No you moron. I'm just savin' 'em for Kankuro. He likes a drag once in a while so I might as well be a good sister and supply him."

I shrugged. "All right then." Smoking was one of those things I had always been tempted to do but just never found the joy in it. In times of war like these they really seemed to take the edge off of the soldiers. Even the grumpier people like Sasuke found some solace in it which would probably explain why he's always trying to sneak a smoke or two when Sakura wasn't watching. Sarutobi on the other hand just did it without a care in the world and even in the thick of battle he'd have one in his mouth. I mean talk about an oral fixation.

"So what's the situation sergeant? Are we gonna be headin' to the Water forces base?" Asano curiously inquired, slightly anxious.

"Yeah I've never met the Water Army before. I heard they all talk funny and have horrible teeth!" Sugiyama's crack earned some chuckles from her fellow newbies but the rest of us who fought with them at Takigakure just kept silent and let her enjoy her little joke.

"I heard some of them wear skirts and play strange instruments, dancing and jumping about like crickets or somethin'." Nakamura added, probably referring to those "bagpipes" and jigs that they seemed to enjoy.

"I heard that they've got pies of blood and weird names for the same food we eat." Nazuka said. It seemed the only one who refrained from the jokes was Asano. It must've been that academy education that gave him a little more discipline and understanding.

Sugiyama felt like continuing her little comedy rant. "I heard that instead of blood they've got nothing but tea running through their veins since they drink the damn stuff all the time!"

"Really?" Sarutobi cut into their conversation. "Well I heard that you new privates have a lot to learn about our allies before you start making cracks about them. Unlike the four of you the rest of us, including Temari, have fought with them in the Waterfall Nation and let me tell you right now that they are nothing to scoff at. They're as brave and strong as we are, just fewer in number but that makes them all the more dedicated to the cause. Maybe when you see them for the first time, you'll see they aren't so different…" the newbies shut up almost instantly, the aura of shame permeating through their little group like a child who just accidentally broke a dish or got an F on a quiz. Sarutobi then chuckled. "But damn do they talk funny." The smiles came back almost instantaneously.

"You gotta love 'im Shikamaru." Choji whispered to me in between gulping piles of mystery pork in a can, a few granules of rice stuck on the corners of his lips but hidden from Ino's sight. "He can kill the mood so quickly only to have him bring it right back up."

"That's why he's the sergeant Choji."

"Sergeant Sarutobi!" The captain's voice boomed through the pattering of the rain. He immediately stood up to attention. We quickly followed suit while trying not to spill the food.

"Sir!"

"At ease! The major wants you and Sergeant Mitarashi to present both of your squads back in the town hall in thirty minutes. You will receive an initial briefing before your transport arrives to take you to the Water HQ. Any questions?"

"What of the platoon while we are away sir?"

"Fox Company will have light duty clearing up any mess the Sound may have made around Kusagakure. Afterwards we'll be on hold for your return to continue our operations. These orders come from Colonel Jiraiya himself, though of course I don't have to tell you that since an NCO like you could already deduce that. If all goes according to plan and provided the joint mission we have with the Water Airborne succeeds, we should be able to make a direct push right into the Rain Nation and move forward to Amekagure. From the initial intelligence I've seen it looks like your squads will be nowhere near the capital. Anything else?"

"No sir!"

"Very well. I'll be waiting for you in the town hall. Get your soldiers fed and readied."

"Yes sir!" The captain turned and walked to wherever 4th squad was holed up. Meanwhile the sergeant turned back to us. "Ok 3rd you heard the captain. Shovel that food in your mouth, get your weapons and ammo, refill canteens and get ready to move. We haven't got a moment to lose and that transport could be on its way sooner than we think. So get to eating. If you're not done by the time I am you are wrong. If you're done before Akimichi's done, then God damn!" Another chorus of laughs erupted quickly stopped by the gorging of mystery food from a tin can…yummy. Well at least the packagers in Konoha weren't too cruel. They gave us some familiar food like crackers, peanuts, jerky, drink powder for our canteens, and a plethora of other snacks that'd keep us going, especially on the long and hard missions. However, whenever we looked at the K or C Rations we always thought how much better we had it at home where Choji could have all the pork ribs he could stomach, or how Ino would hit up the fine dining, or I would just settle for some nice sushi or chicken made by my mother. Those days were long gone and even when we always came back to the border towns of Konoha...it just wasn't the same. I'm sure the new recruits felt it worse than we did. Some in the other platoons I could hear bawling that they wanted to be home but after this little baptism of fire in the Grass Nation, those feelings transformed themselves into one collective reality check for them.

"Hey Ino you gonna eat that?" Choji sheepishly asked her as she twiddled with her packet of jerky. It looked as if she wasn't paying attention to him but then abruptly flipped it out of her hands and into his.

"It's all yours. Wasn't really that hungry anyway." A somber tone was the sign that she was returning back to her sorrow. Something she must've been brooding over got her in the funk again.

He tried to spit out a response but after five seconds of stutter he came out with it. "Ok...thanks Ino." I looked at the sergeant who just shrugged his shoulders.

"Hey Asuma!" The familiar harpy voice of Sergeant Mitarashi called out to him. Her tough but lithe form popped out of the rain with a big smile on her face looking for someone to join her in the unexplained happiness. Sarutobi was not amused but after all the things he told me she dragged him into, I wasn't surprised.

"What is it Anko?"

"Got a delay with the transport. We've got an extra fifteen minutes before the briefing. Just lettin' ya know big guy."

"Ok..." He responded in deadpan. "Thanks Anko." He then turned to us cracking his neck slightly. "Well I guess you heard the sergeant. We've got ourselves fifteen minutes of extra rest. Gather what you need to now and then we'll figure it out from there ok?"

"Hey sergeant? Can I head out to go to the bathroom?" All the water I drank went through my bladder like a hot knife through butter. I couldn't wait any more.

He sighed. "Ok Nara...get moving."

Enthusiastically I raced outside the building and found the most secluded spot I could. It was the corner towards a back alleyway that could fit only one or two people. Exhaling in joy as I took care of what I needed to, I heard some faint and semi-muffled grunts and groans. "The hell is that?" I whispered to myself. Trying to focus in on it, it sounded like it was coming from inside the building next to me. When I crept closer I noticed a chunk of wall that was broken off and revealed a rather dark room. The sounds picked up in speed and pitch, but very slightly in volume. I turned my head over the opening and quite to my shock Naruto and Hinata were in there covered only by their uniform blouses. It didn't take a genius to figure out what they were doing given their back and forth movements, ruffling atop a slightly damaged bed or whatever they were on. My widened eyes were trying to look away leaving my body to force me to move. Even with the rain pouring down on me I was careful not to make a sound. Why is it that I'm always walking into something awkward? Shitty is what it is.

"NARA! Nara where are you? How long does it take to take a piss?" Sarutobi's gruff voice yelled for me yet I knew I couldn't respond as Naruto and Hinata seemed oblivious during their quickie. Luckily a distant rumble of thunder helped mask my footsteps as my feet jogged the rest of my body back to the squad. The mental image of those two was still stuck in my head unfortunately. Just another disturbing thing in my mind...how troublesome.

"Here sergeant!" I announced.

"It's about time. Get your kit ready and head out to the town hall. Major Shizune's brief is on in about ten to fifteen minutes so we'll just head over there before Sergeant Mitarashi barges in." I could tell he had reached his limit with the young NCO when he stressed not garnering the attention of 4th squad.

"Sounds good to me sergeant." God I hope the sergeant doesn't catch Naruto in the act with Hinata. That would just warrant a beating of epic proportions.

The rain had a rather bipolar nature between slight sprinkles and straight downpours. It was troublesome when even Mother Nature couldn't make up her mind. My cynical sense thought of it as a sign of things to come which shot any optimism I had to hell. A couple liaisons from the Water Airborne had already arrived unbeknownst to us as they stood with Major Shizune, their red berets the dead giveaway they're weren't of Konoha stock. First Lieutenant Uzuki's Rangers were there along with some of the other Leaf companies. The tension was thick as the Water soldiers retained their stonewall appearance, not moving an inch except for a person we believed was a captain or major talking with our major. A raise of the major's arms was all it took to silence the chattering crowd.

"Soldiers! Listen up! With us right now are the liaisons of the Water Airborne. They will be explaining the mission in brief detail before your movement to their base camp for additional training and briefing. I will now turn the attention over to Major Tazuna."

A large, grey-haired gentleman with a rather large build stepped forward. Judging by his look he was more from the Wave Nation than Water Nation. When I asked Shino he had told me the two weren't always pals and at a time before the Water Nation ruled over the Wave Nation, leading to some horrible tensions. However, due to the Sound's bombing the two buried the hatchet and decided to work together, the Wave Nation's citizens volunteering for service with the Water Army.

"Thank you Major Shizune. I can see a whole lot of ya wanted some proper revenge fer what they did to yer Hokage. A damned shame is what it is lads. We're just as furious over losin' some of our own back home." Yep the man's accent didn't lie. He was just as quick-talking as that Corporal Inari fellow. "I won't stand here and be givin' ya any tripe. What we're plannin' on is fierce dangerous and we'll be cut off from most if not all forms of support. We've gotta be very careful and not lose the head so with that I'll give the lot of ya yer initial brief. Turn off the lights will ya staff?" The already flickering lights our generators were making dimmed as the center projector lit up the podium where he and Major Shizune were standing.

"All right lads, this right here…are our targets." Large Xs marked on the map showed the locations of what I assumed were the V-2 rocket bases. "Notice that they are alongside the border between the Rain Nation and the Sand Nation, away from any direct incursion from Konoha and deeper into the already hardened anti-aircraft defenses. They've got the bloody place defended tighter than a fish's ass so our gliders will have to fly in low. We'll be flying in, as I forgot to mention, with our Horsa gliders. You'll be gettin' more detail on 'em when ya get in, but we'll stick to the meat an' poppies now. Our intent is to fly low and under their radar so their flak guns won't pluck us right out. If we can land successfully near the bases, we can establish a plan of attack with our engineers and destroy the bases."

"Sir!" King Company's captain raised his hand. "What about an extraction plan?"

For a second the major had a nervous look on his face but managed to think of something. "I wish I could say we had trucks or planes to scuttle us out but I'm 'fraid we don't got 'em. If successful we're to travel east towards the border where our contacts are waiting with the local populace for safer extraction. When I said it was feckin' dangerous, I wasn't pullin' yer leg captain." Nervousness surrounded the room as it started to feel like it was more of a suicide mission than anything else.

"Sergeant Sarutobi?" Asano nervously tugged at the sergeant's sleeve. He turned with a surprisingly cool demeanor.

"Relax private. You'll be with me." It was all he could say but it was the right thing to say.

"I must stress something highly important lads!" The major hushed the crowd again. "While we do not know his exact location, wherever you are attacking, be on the lookout for this man!" The next slide clicked to a photo of a blonde gentleman with a maniacal smile. His right eye looked horribly scarred with his hair partially concealing it. His black uniform was as disturbing as his demeanor in the photo, the cap he cradled with his right hand revealing the cloud symbol of the Akatsuki and what appeared to be a skull with crossbones as well. When they said he was like a terrorist, they weren't kidding with that sort of mug shot. "His full name is unknown and he only goes by the name Deidara. The fecker's a brilliant engineer who helped create those damn rockets. He is massively deadly and will most likely have an escort of elite stormtroopers around him. He's also worked closely with other Akatsuki elite and happens to be one of Orochimaru's top personnel. Also be on the lookout for this man. We don't quite know who he is but we believe that he is Deidara's partner in crime." Another photo revealed the man's cabal of bodyguards while he was inspecting weaponry. The projector clicked again to reveal this Deidara with Field Marshal Pein and a strange, red-headed man that didn't look like he was originally from the Sound. The man stood there shaking hands with Deidara and in the next photo he was sitting with the same man and a beautiful blue-haired Akatsuki woman, and then I noticed something. I saw Temari. I saw her squeezing the wooden stock of her rifle so hard she nearly got slivers. I saw her grimace as if someone had just run over her dog. I saw a look of intensity and ferocity I hadn't seen in a long time. It almost frightened me as the pupils in her eyes shrunk and her faced turned blood red while you could see it shaking.

"Temari…Temari you ok?" I asked sheepishly.

She said nothing at first, but then uttered something out that was somewhat inaudible. She was seething with a face of pure hatred. She muttered out something again. It sounded like, "Him."

"Who is that Temari? Who're ya talkin' about?" I tried to get something out of her as the major kept blabbing on. She turned her head to me and said it again…"Him...that traitor..."

"Who is 'Him' Temari? Who's this traitor you speak of?"

She grit her teeth and let out the name "Sasori." Her breathing became more erratic and I could hear the faint sound of the metal in her rifle's bolt shaking.

"Sasori? Who the hell is Sasori, Temari?" She said nothing. I looked around and saw almost the same hate-filled reaction from Kankuro. Something about the sight of this man really set them off into a fit. Even if Gaara was still around we'd get an even worse reaction from him. Who was this man? The traitor label they gave him was already a dead ringer as to where the man came from, but once again who was he and what did he do to garner such enmity? Despite my best efforts to tune it out and listen to the officer briefing away, the thoughts of this man and the effect he had on the Sand fighters crept their way into my mind. For my sake and perhaps the squad's I certainly hope this vendetta I assumed Temari and her ilk had with this Sasori fellow didn't interfere with the mission. Then again Sarutobi's and Ino's own personal thirsts for vengeance also had me worried.

"The gliders will be departin' 'round 0200 in three days. Any and all Konoha volunteers, which of course means you all, will be receiving training from my own soldiers prior to embarkation. I wish I could explain more to ya lads but time is of the essence and we gotta get goin' now. Major Shizune, I thank you for yer time an' the brave soldiers you've provided us. I'm sure they'll do their duty and then some."

"We do what we can for our allies Major Tazuna. Commanders, prep your troops for transport in thirty minutes. Grab food, water, ammunition, and all other essential supplies before you step off. Good luck and Godspeed."

So that was it? That's all she was going to tell us while she and most likely Colonel Jiraiya cast us out of the damn frying pan and into an even hotter fire? Good luck and Godspeed? What a crock. What a drag.

"Nara let's go!" Sarutobi snapped out breaking me away from what would've been an inner monologue rant for the ages.

"Um, yeah…coming sergeant. C'mon Temari." Temari was still brooding over what she saw and if she said anything it was under her breath and perhaps completely out of my earshot. Now I had to deal with three very pissed off people on this mission, my childhood friend, my squad leader and mentor, and now my very own significant other. How troublesome eh?

We scurried to acquire as much as we could before the transports arrived. I still felt like a bag of shit all nerved up and what not. "Choji…why me?" I sulked to the usually happy-go-lucky giant. Usually I bitched and moaned to Sarutobi since he'd tolerate but Choji was always a good substitute.

"What is it now Shikamaru?"

"You act like I do this on a regular basis."

He rolled his eyes. "No of course not. Something must be troubling you Shikamaru…again."

"Well Temari is now officially in her own little world of hate. She saw some guy next to that Deidara fellow and now it's like talking to a brick wall."

"You certainly have a fix on people huh buddy?"

"Please…they do it to me not the other way around."

"Sure buddy. Look I feel for ya. Sarutobi and Ino are already lookin' real vicious and I'm dead worried for the both of 'em. Don't think I didn't notice Temari and even her brother. They're now two big issues should this guy that they seem to hate so fondly appear. We're gonna have to keep our eyes on them buddy. We can't have the squad fall apart because of personal vengeance."

I chuckled. "Since when did you get so erudite Choji?"

He smirked in response. "I can throw you a gem or two when you least expect it." That was Choji for ya, my best friend since we were kids.

"Transport's here kids! Let's move! Everyone set on ammunition and water?"

"Yes sergeant!" We rang out.

"Everyone have their kits ready and got some food on them?"

"Yes sergeant!"

"Everyone have any doubts about this? Any second thoughts?"

"No sergeant!"

"Everyone ready to do this and strike at these assholes where it hurts!"

"Yes sergeant!" I lip-synched most of it because it pained me to actually be enthusiastic with this mission.

"That's my squad! Don't worry boys and girls. I'll be going all the way with you guys. I haven't let you down before and I'll be damned if I start now!"

"Trucks can't wait forever ladies and gents…let's go!" Sergeant Mitarashi arrogantly yelled to us. I helped lug Choji's machine gun on the truck before getting myself and Temari on board.

"Naruto!" Hinata's soft voice rang out from the crowd as she ran to him, the rain beating off their heads and faces as they looked into each other's eyes. "P-please N-Naruto, be careful. Take this. You'll need it again more than I will now." She dug deep into her uniform and pulled out the same necklace Naruto gave her back in the Waterfall Nation. "You w-w-were right. I kept m-me safe and now I w-want it to for you. I l-l-lo…I l-love you."

"Hinata, I love you too. Naruto Uzumaki keeps his promises and I promise I'll come back to you alive and well. Wouldn't let it go this far for it to end so wrongly am I right?" She nodded as he wore his lucky necklace again. "I love you Hinata Hyuga. You take care of yourself." The rain dripped in small rivulets on their faces, but one could say her tears formed their own rivers.

"Naruto…"

"Oh what the fuck? Let's go Uzumaki! Jesus does it take you this long to do anything private!" His squad leader was less than patient with his little moment of tenderness. A kiss was all they parted with as he hopped on the truck, his head sticking out of the tarp watching her just stand there. As oblivious as he was in the past, he knew she was meant for him. No other woman would stand in the pouring rain and watch him depart, but Hinata Hyuga would. I had my own reservations about love but what she displayed was quite admirable.

"All clear! Convoy is clear to move! God with be you guys!" The transportation sergeant slapped the back of the truck and with Lee and the rest of the platoon waving us off, the trucks started their engines. Within ten minutes they were all out of sight and away we were to the Water HQ. The squad was quiet even with the awkward Sai joining us as Captain Hatake had mentioned. Temari sat next to me with her eyes fixed squarely on her rifle.

"Temari…Temari are you with me?"

"What…Shikamaru?"

"You never answered my question."

"What question?"

"Who is this Sasori you mention? Who is this guy that has gotten you all in a bloodlust all of a sudden?"

"He's a filthy traitor undeserving to be alive. He slept with the enemy from the moment they walked into Sunakagure. He used to be one my father's most trusted colleagues when he was Kazekage claiming complete loyalty to him, but instead he sold the country out to the Sound. That piece of shit helped the Sound roll right over the country and rape it of our livelihoods, take our men and women into the charnel house called this war. And the most unforgivable thing of all, is that he sold my parents out to the Sound. The reason they are both dead right now…is because of him."

Holy shit. No wonder she was so vindictive all of a sudden. "You mean that man that we saw was a Sound collaborator."

"Collaborator is an understatement Shikamaru. He is trash. He is a bottom-feeder. He is a traitor, and my brother and I have met people of his ilk before and they have all paid the price for their treachery. He deserves no sympathy after he gave the location of my father away. He even had the temerity to try and negotiate surrender with my father before the Sound tanks killed him. If I see him right now I'll slash his stomach with my knife, stab his eyes out, and hang him with his own entrails." Jesus Temari…spare me the details.

"Wow…" It was all I could say. Once again I never realized how fortunate I was to not have such misfortune befall me like the sheer scale of Temari's or Ino's. I couldn't say anything else. I dared not say anything else and besides there was a good chance that Temari was so hung up on this Sasori traitor that she'd ignore me anyway. I lost track of time as my mind tried to process all of what was happening. Ino loses her parents, Sarutobi loses his father, we lose the Hokage, and now Temari is hung up on exacting revenge. What a world I've been cast into. It made the drama between Naruto and Hinata and my own problems seem ever so insignificant. How was it that I was spared such horrendousness? I've done nothing but bitch and moan about all of life's little inconveniences only to have bombshell after bombshell hit those closest to me. It made me feel weak and my problems insignificant that was for sure. Maybe ma was right when she told me that I should stop complaining all the time when there are people that are much worse off than me. Guess there's no time for personal adjustment now, not when there's still a war to be fought.

"Look alive people! We're approaching the Water HQ now!" The soldier in the passenger's side tapped the tarp to alert us. It woke Sugiyama, Nakamura, and Toyama from their napping. Nazuka bore a strange yet enthusiastic grin on his face. Ino and Sarutobi looked just as sullen as Temari. Sai just sat there like a stone but that was no surprise. Always a mixed bag o' feelings with 3rd squad.

"You heard the man 3rd. Get your shit ready and prepare to dismount. Let's not dilly-dally on this either."

The trucks ground to a halt as we saw the gates close behind us. It seemed that the Water Army occupied a slightly smaller urban area than that of Kusagakure. Sadly enough, it looked like the V-2 rockets were launched on here as well. The ruined buildings and scraps of metal a testament to their devastation. The area also boasted a huge flat land where a makeshift runway was constructed for the gliders. We saw about ten maybe even more all stacked up next to each other, and that was just with our limited view.

"Get ready kiddos, we're about to enter Water country. Be respectful and don't say or do anything stupid. We are their guests and they're the ones training us so even if they are a pain in the ass, just suck it up all right?"

"Yes sergeant!"

"I hope I'm not buttin' in or nuthin'!" A familiar voice cut into the air from the back of the truck as the flap lowered and banged against the backside. "Well go way outta that! Never thought I'd see the likes of ya again!"

"Corporal…Inari?" I turned my head to see the rather excited Wave soldier lean up against the bed of the truck.

"Lord works in mysterious ways doesn't he what with bringin' ya lot here an' all?"

"Well son of a bitch…how are you Inari?" Choji asked excitedly.

"I've been doin' grand thanks fer askin'. C'mon lemme help ya outta this truck." One by one we unloaded ourselves and our equipment along with the assistance of Inari and two other Water soldiers. Our own newbies were a little off-put by the behavior of the Water soldiers but still embraced them as comrades in arms. The Water soldiers did the same which brought a little warmth into a rather gloomy night.

"Corporal!"

"Yes staff?" Inari was right. Things do happen with strange coincidences. That staff sergeant, the one that Kiba thought was a girl, walked right up to the gaggle.

"Ah…good to see you chaps again. I'm glad the war hasn't taken us all to the choir invisible." Sarutobi shook the man's hand with a smile. "I hope you and your soldiers are well-equipped and fed."

"That they are Sergeant Haku. They're also ready for one helluva fight."

"Bloody brill. Well you're all excited which is good, but it can only take you so far. Corporal, get their equipment to the Leaf staging ground." A simple nod and a few words from the Wave soldier got the rest of his comrades moving. Haku turned to us with a confident grin. "As I was saying, motivation can only take you so far. This mission is more dangerous than you'd think and lesser men and women would shite their pants at the thought of it."

"So when does the training begin sergeant?" Sarutobi inquired.

He chuckled as he wiped his eyes and fixed his beret. "It starts right now. I certainly hope you're ready."


	35. Chapter 35

He wasn't kidding when he warned us

He wasn't kidding when he warned us. We were already exhausted from surviving the rocket attacks and now they felt like pushing us to the brink. Every time I'd try to get a couple minutes with my eyes closed I'd be shoved or prodded by some Water NCO blabbing in his or her incoherent accent about something that probably wouldn't concern me in the slightest. Luckily Sarutobi still let them know who was boss of our squad and who wasn't, but that fine line was getting crossed from time to time and it was thinning by the minute. We were already furiously training since six in the morning and that was about eight or nine hours ago.

"Right! Let's go! Let's go! Good Lord…you Leafs sure do get tired quickly." The slurring words of the next trainer rang through my ears but I only absorbed maybe half of it. I needed a coffee and pronto. Their damn tea didn't do shit. "Bloody hell! Noddin' off again are we lass?" She came right up to Temari's face. "Seems you Sand people are just as bad as your friends!" The woman left it at that and it was good on her part because Temari had the look of pure malice in her eyes, ready to punch out the next person to yell in her face.

"Ugh…sergeant…" Choji moaned along with his stomach.

"It'll be over soon Akimichi, just wait it out."

"The 'ell is the matter with the bloody lot of you?" The woman again felt like berating us and 4th squad. "You just join up like a bunch of over-eager little lads or were the likes of ya bein' posh gits? Wot about you grizzly?" She started poking at Sarutobi. "You got jelly in yer legs or are ya just soft?"

"Sadistic bitch…" Sergeant Mitarashi muttered and the Water lieutenant's eyes lit up.

"Oi! Who said that? Which one o' ya bloody Leafs said that?"

"I did!" True to her form she didn't back down either. Classy dame she was I thought to myself as I rolled my eyes. Another mess she was going to get us into and Sarutobi would be proven right once more.

"Why you little cheeky swine! So far I've been nice to the lot of you and this is how I'm repaid? You listen 'ere ya little cunt…" and without hesitation the woman got a punch right to the throat and a fracas ensued yet again.

"I say…ya have a hard time controllin' the little vixen don't ya Corporal Nara?" Inari slapped my shoulder and laughed at the silliness of it all. Aboard the small Horsa glider the two women were having a go while both Leaf and Water soldiers were struggling to pull them away. Sarutobi finally huffed and with all his might yanked Mitarashi right off the collar of the Water LT.

"Hey! Asuma lemme go! I haven't finished pounding that wench!"

"You soppy little shit! You Leafs are all alike just like your swine Hokage. C'mere and say that again you no-good, uncivilized Leaf piece of…" then I saw something I never thought he'd do. He swung the woman right to the hull of the plane. Everyone else just stood still, afraid to even approach the man who already had a scary fire in his eyes.

"You ever…" he paused to blow his cigarette smoke right in the woman's face and in a calm manner spoke to her again, "ever, mention my father again in that manner, your head will be sticking out this very hull when the plane takes off you got me?" She just nervously shook her head. Of course she had no idea that the Hokage was Sarutobi's father but it gave her no right to insult him like that. "Good. Anko, stay your hand. I don't want any more bullshit ok? We're here to train." The entire group just froze in place. It wasn't until a minute of awkward silence that Captain Momochi came aboard and broke it up. His presence, much like Captain Hatake's was certainly a commanding one that even put Sarutobi and Sergeant Mitarashi in their respective places. Slightly taller than our own commander he nonetheless had a build like him and was proven to be a fearsome officer. Even some of our own new privates who never knew the guy were scared stiff of him.

"Right, what's goin' on in 'ere? Somebody's mum just died?"

"No sir. Nothing at all…it's just a light rest sir." The woman, now shaken up by guilt and fear of Sarutobi, squeaked out to answer.

"I see. Well leftenant, you'll have plenty of time to kip when the mission is over and/or you are dead. Let's continue with the training shall we? I don't want any sloppiness out of my troops especially for a high risk mission such as this."

"Right sir."

"Very good. Carry on then." Lightly slapping the hull of the glider he took off leaving us once again in awkward silence. I think he saw what had transpired but felt no need to come down on it. By the time he was about to approach, I had surmised that awkward pause caused him to lose his need to yell.

"Per…perhaps I was too rough on you lads. Sorry." The Water LT and Mitarashi nodded towards each other in mutual understanding. The pain from the sergeant was still ringing as the woman kept rubbing her neck for the next thirty seconds in a weak effort to alleviate the ache. "I guess...we should get back to training right?" We all nodded. I turned to Sarutobi who at first curled his lips in a quasi-snarl but then it seemed that he had subdued his anger.

Something that had certainly concerned me was the transformations that so many of my friends and colleagues had gone through over the past year and a half. From our days huddling together as the Soundies shelled Konoha's walls to the draft and boot camp all the way up to here, things just felt so different. Naruto became a hero more than a dimwit or worse…dead. Hinata became brave and won the heart of Naruto. Ino's heart is now pointing at my best friend Choji. Neji's gone as is more than half the original squad I was with. I remember when Ino, Toyama, Choji, and I were first integrated into Sarutobi's squad...it felt like it was yesterday. The first day suddenly came back to me when he looked upon us as scared green recruits with the same gruff face, the same facial hair, and the same mug with the same lit cigarette always in his mouth.

"_So here we are fellas, our new home."_

"_Finally. Damn bus ride took forever luggin' all this crap and listening to your stomach growl Choji. Couldn't get an ounce of sleep."_

"_Whiner."_

"_You say that with a nervous tone. Scared much Ino? You look like you're sweatin' bullets but then again this war wasn't meant for a woman like you."_

"_Shut up Shikamaru! You're such a pain in the ass."_

"_C'mon guys no fighting. Let's not look bad in front of our squad leader. What's his name again Shikamaru?"_

"_Beats me...I wasn't paying attention. It's too troublesome with all these names anyway."_

"_Troublesome eh? Day One and I've already got myself a whiner! Looks like I'm gonna have fun with you PFC...Nara."_

"_Sergeant!"_

"_At ease big fella. So...this is what Basic gives me as new recruits eh? Looks like I got myself a lazy sod, a bodybuilder that I bet is filled more with rocks in the noggin than brains, a girl that belongs more at a prom than a war, and someone I can already tell is gonna be a joker. Konoha must be draftin' anyone these days. Well...might as well make the most of it. Let's take a look here at the list. Tell me if I got this right, Private Ino Yamanaka?"_

"_Here sergeant."_

"_Good. I needed a new medic. The last one got stupid and was left with about five holes in him. Let's hope you're not as dumb."_

"_Good luck with that."_

"_Shut up Shikamaru!"_

"_You I'll deal with later private. Ok...Private Choji Akimichi?"_

"_That's me sergeant."_

"_Damn you're big son! The hell did your parents feed you…a whole pig every day? Let's hope that size comes in handy with the .30 cal. Ok Private Kazuo Toyama?"_

"_Here sergeant."_

"_Excellent. Three of four so far. Last but not least...Private First Class Shikamaru Nara. You look like a bright kid but I can already tell you're the type that'd rather be sleeping. Well guess what princess? Lounge time is over. The drillers told me you were a lazy, cynical bastard and so far you're not disappointing. I'm gonna have to work hard with you especially since you're the higher ranking one out of the lot of you.. However...they did tell me you're one helluva shot with that Springfield."_

"_The best there is in Konoha sergeant! My buddy Sure Shot over here can nail a tin can off a pole five hundred meters away!"_

"_Thanks Choji..."_

"_So according to your friend, you're a deadeye sniper huh? If you're as good as the big guy says you are PFC Nara, then you're gonna be more useful than I imagined especially since the drillers also informed me that you're quite the smart one. I have big plans for you Nara..."_

"_Wonderful."_

"_That goes for all of you. Welcome to 3__rd__ squad, 2__nd__ Platoon, of Fox Company, some of the hardest hittin' bastards that Konoha ever did see. I'm your squad leader, Staff Sergeant Asuma Sarutobi. Now before you go gawkin' with a bunch of questions with yer yaps agape, yes I am related to the Hokage. He's my dad and we're gonna leave it at that all right? Good . I'm gonna lay it down right now. In 3__rd__, we work hard and we play hard. We fight and when the fightin's done we take it nice and easy. I expect nothing short of one hundred percent from my men and women and in return I do my damnedest to make sure you don't wind up home in a pine box for mommy and daddy to weep at. As of right now we are all one big family and I am your new daddy and as your daddy it's my job to make sure you're all taken care of. You'll notice some of the other NCOs treat their soldiers differently and sometimes like slaves. I assure you while I am no joke I still appreciate you all answering the call to duty like I have. Know these fundamentals and you'll survive...always stay alert, listen to the captain because he knows his shit, and watch out for the buddy to the right and left of you. As a family we're stickin' out for each other all the time and I'll be damned if it's gonna be any different. Are you gonna give me what I'm askin' from you even if it means your life?"_

"_Yes sergeant!"_

"_Are you gonna be weak or lazy when the going gets tough?"_

"_No sergeant!"_

"_Are you here to kick some Sound ass and make them pay for every inch they stepped towards Konoha?"_

"_Yes sergeant."_

"_Good. Welcome kids...welcome to the war."_

The last line rang through my head again and again. If felt like an eternity since I first met the man who would ironically end up being my mentor even if I didn't want one. I snapped out to hear the blurring words of the Water soldiers who to me were spouting more gibberish than actual coherent speech.

"Daydreaming again Nara? C'mon now…now is not the time for that. Besides, get ready."

"For what?"

"This!" Without any hesitation he shoved me right to the back as we practiced our first unloading drill.

"Go! Go! Go!" One of the Water sergeants screamed as we scurried out like mice running from a burning home. "C'mon lads remember your positions."

My squad along with 4th laid ourselves along the right flank. The ground was still soggy and sunk into my clothing, producing that rare chill that you couldn't shake off until you got your clothes hung out to try and yourself wrapped in a warm towel.

"Ah Jesus…I can feel it in my elbows!" Ayako whined biting his lower lip from the cold as he laid in the prone with his empty rifle pointed towards nowhere.

"Suck it up private. We've been through worse. At least your nuts aren't freezing off." His sergeant quickly snapped back to shut him up.

"Easy for you to say sarge given your shortcomings…" Naruto muttered under his breath, getting a slight chuckle out of Choji and Konohamaru. He then squirmed in a special way like the aftermath of getting kicked in the balls. "Ugh…I won't be makin' babies for a month if I'm lyin' around like this any longer."

Sergeant Mitarashi reached over and with a closed fist whacked the blond chatterbox right on the noggin. It certainly shut him and the rest of the lot up real quick.

"Okay! Area clear! Area clear! Everyone on your feet." The LT said which was music to my ears. I could already see the wetness of the ground bleeding into my clothing, spreading its icy chill all over. What a pain in my ass. Even when it was pouring rain in the summer months of the war it never felt like this. Figures these Water guys don't mind since the damn place they live in has rainy weather almost three to four days a damn week.

"Tokuyama how's your squad?" The NCO, a rather gruff looking man placed right next to the dwarfed Water LT, asked the rather tall woman about five men down.

"Clear sergeant."

"And yours Sergeant Natoshi?"

"Proper fit sergeant!"

"All set ma'am."

"Roger. All right on your feet…let's do it again." A couple soft groans emitted but nothing to really irk any of the highers.

"Great…nothing like freezing my chest again." I muttered.

"Lemme ask ya something Shikamaru…were you born the world's biggest whiny bitch or did it take years of practice to earn that crown?"

Her typical antagonist inquiry spawned the typical reaction out of me. "Lemme counter by asking you Temari, were you born a bossy and annoying woman or did you just one day up and practice the art?"

"Were you always such an asshole?"

I then had to counter exactly the same. "Were you always such a bitch?"

"At ease children." Sarutobi gruffly barked to shut us up. A mean glare still remained between Temari and I. What the hell got up her ass? Oh yeah…that Sasori prick. She was still hung up about it as was Kankuro, and if that normally carefree and slightly arrogant man was all in a huff, then something was definitely wrong with this picture. It'd be too embarrassing and/or illogical to apologize but in the back of my mind I reminded myself that she started it. Women always start up crap like this. It reminded me of when Ino would act bitchy for no good reason and all it took was one spark, usually my dry wit and humor spark, to ignite her hormonal powder keg. Naruto and I would get plenty of laughs from it all.

"Choji you seem rather calm during all this." I nudged my friend who seemed to just carry a blank look on his face as we boarded the Horsa glider again.

"You know me Shikamaru. I'm too hungry to be getting into arguments."

"Damn buddy…we just ate three hours ago!" I looked at him again and realized my complaint was for naught. "Oh yeah…it's you we're talking about." Good ol' Choji. At least he remained consistent in this shitstorm. Everyone else seemed to be going off the deep end. Sarutobi was losing his cool streak, Ino was half-social and half-recluse, Temari had become five times bitchier than before, and even I was thinking way more than I wanted to. In the back of my mind I had the worst feeling that something awry was going to happen. I mean Murphy's Law was one of my life's mantras but it didn't mean I wanted it to be so. I've seen some fucked up things but something kept gnawing at the back of my mind that it was gonna take a turn for the worse. How Choji managed to keep his demeanor going even with the added responsibility of taking care of Ino was beyond me.

Again we loaded and again we unloaded practicing what the Water fellas said was their standard drill. It was more like a pain in my ass. Get in plane, get off plane, check for Soundies, I get it. The fact that we were going over this for three hours straight was wearing me down. I mean it's one thing to make sure people get it given some private's tendency to fuck up like Naruto, but after a while it's like we were a broken record. I'd rather be sleeping.

"All right troops. We've done enough of this for the day. On to target ranges." The procession out was a slow and tired shuffle. "C'mon let's get on with it!" The LT yelled as it picked up into a shuffle towards the ranges.

They were makeshift rifle ranges that looked like they took only an hour to make. Half of the paper targets were wet from the storm last night and tore at the sides when you tried to set them up. The others were luckily a little more compliant. Of course my squad along with 4th, being the resident foreigners, were stuck with the propping detail at first. For shits and giggles some of the guys had set up helmets and bottles just like that time when Naruto won the marksmanship contest over Kiba. Some of the sergeants on the Water side complained about the formalities of the training but eventually caved in…bunch of over-proper schmucks.

"All right. Back to getting where you're good at eh Nara?" Toyama nudged me with the oh so subtle hint of my prowess. I never really liked to gloat and the few times I did were in front of Temari just because I got that rare pleasure from annoying her.

The targets were laid out, mine being something rather interesting. There were ten silhouettes and each one ranged itself differently. The sergeant next to the LT pulled out a notebook.

"Right, riflemen up first!" And lo, the process went. Asuma and a couple other NCOs trained with their submachine guns after Ino, Naruto, and a bunch of others went at it with their rifles. Choji and the machine gunners went elsewhere to train for a good two hours or so. Temari and I just sat there and enjoyed the brief rest we could get before our inevitable turn.

Sharpshooters! Front and center! You've got right here a silhouette with ten targets ranging in size from fifty metres to three hundred metres. Let's make this a littl' sporty shall we? Top shot in the iteration gets 'im or 'erself a nice pack o' fags and some spirit that Corporal Nomura whipped up 'erself. That sound like a good challenge?" We were surprised to see the rather hospitable offering the Water soldiers had given their attitudes towards us hours prior.

"C'mon Shikamaru! You can show these Water lilies who the best is out there right?"

"Tch. I really, really don't wanna."

"Yeah Shikamaru, put your money where your mouth is." In a moment of rare biting criticism Ino spoke up with a perverted sense of encouragement and goading.

"I'm not even gonna listen to you Ino. You couldn't shoot to save your life."

"Prick."

"Do it Nara. I want those smokes and from the looks of it we could all use a drink." The sergeant loomed over me like an agitated father towering over a bratty child.

"I'll do it if you're not going to Shikamaru. Figured you'd be too lazy and whiny to do something for your squad." Temari, that arrogant witch. I swear sometimes I don't know why I like her so much. Despite my best efforts, she got my goat.

"Is that so? All right. I'll do this contest. I mean I gotta shoot anyway so I might as well, but after this, don't expect any more favors outta me." Yeah I was being selfish but when was the last time they, outside of Sarutobi or Choji, did something for me?

"Marksmen! Select your lanes." Temari and I sauntered up to where a blond-haired kid was eagerly awaiting us.

"Fancy that, seeing some fellow sharpshooters from the Sand and Leaf. Name's Corporal Shinyei Okubo, best shot His Majesty's Royal Airborne has." The man was all about proper there was no doubt about that given his firm handshake with me and his graceful bow towards Temari. "And to whom am I honoured to be with in this little training game?"

All right. I'll play into his little game. "Corporal Shikamaru "Sure Shot" Nara of the Leaf Army." I cringed on the inside calling myself Choji's stupid moniker. "As the name implies…well I think you get the picture."

"Temari…Temari of the Sand."

"Resistance I see. I certainly respect what you've done for the cause." He bowed again and turned to me. "Rather fetching bird you've caught yourself Corporal Nara. I am impressed."

"Say what?" I cocked an eyebrow, rather embarrassed as to how quickly he figured out we were together.

"Didn't think I was that sharp did you eh chum? Saw you two trading a little semi-snog last night before our training began. One thing I think I've got over the lot of you is that I'm quite observant. I can spot the tiniest of details when you're least suspecting. That kind of talent got me this honour as a marksman, that and years of hunting with my father in the woodlands, except this time I have an Enfield. That reminds me, Ms. Temari you should retie your boot. It's becoming undone and it'd be rather silly if it came off and you got your foot soaked."

"Oh…" Sheepishly she bent done and made the adjustment completely ignorant of it before. As much as I would enjoy seeing Temari go down a peg or two, I wanted that down-pegger to be me, not some prim and proper Water corporal acting like nobility. "Hey Shika honey…can you c'mere for a sec?" I inched over to her as we turned from the potentially arrogant Water sniper. "Can you promise me to kick this guy's ass should I not be able to kick the both of yours? He reeks of smugness and only I can have that."

I scoffed. "Oh of course. We can only have one smug princess around here and it has to be you. I mean, you're clearly more talented than I am."

She picked up my sarcasm no doubt but let it slide. "Look lazy, just beat him will ya?"

"Can't make any promises doll."

"Don't call me pet names lazy boy."

"Don't call me lazy boy sugar pie."

"Don't call me sugar pie asshole."

"Don't call me asshole Queen Bitch."

"Don't call me…look let's just not look stupid in front of him and beat him ok?"

"Agreed. Smartest thing I've heard from you in a while Temari. Looks like there's hope for womankind after all." She was about to hit me but held it back. Smart thinking.

"Firers, take up your lanes and a good position!" The NCO blared through the bullhorn.

"Well then," the Water corporal smirked again, "as you blokes in the Leaf Nation say, it's show time."

"Load your rounds! Ready?" A thumbs up came from the range NCO. "Watch your lane, and fire at will."

The scope didn't fail me once more as I confidently nailed the farther two hundred and two hundred fifty meter targets right on the money. I had little time to see how Temari and the others were doing as I got myself into the sniper mentality. I was always taught by the drillers, focus on your target, everything else is just a distraction. Right…and a fucking mortar round landing about fifty meters from me was a mere distraction. I'll save the three hundreds for last. It was the fifty meter targets that were more annoying. The scope made them nice and fat for the picking but trying to adjust after hitting normal silhouettes became bothersome. Nevertheless after my reload I spent the next four rounds on them, hitting three shots dead center and the next a head shot. It was accidental but of course I didn't treat it as such. It's as Temari once told me, "Heart or head…either way, Soundie's dead." Wise words from the troublesome broad. When I saw the Water corporal fire for a split second, he had the time advantage on us with his ten-round clip, but speed doesn't translate into accuracy. The crack from Temari's rifle rang loudly every five to ten seconds. I would've called her my equal if I didn't know already that I was superior. She'd tie me for this but then come another round I'd take her to school once more. I just can't lose to a woman. Sure it's sexist but it's how I roll. No female beats me…period.

I had just the last two targets left. They were child's play. The air was filled with the acrid smoke of gunpowder and carbon. It always reminded me of the fireworks that the kids played with when I was much younger in Konoha.

"Cease fire! Cease fire!" The bullhorn soldier blared out. The smoke took about another minute or two to clear. "All right then, all firers and range sergeants proceed down range and inspect your targets."

"Well then, shall we ladies and gents?" Corporal Okubo gestured for Temari and me to move on in that smug manner he displayed since we met him. I turned to her as she nodded. While the very fact I was competing with some schmuck from the Water Nation was troublesome to me, I couldn't help but feel a few butterflies in my stomach. Losing to this royal pain would be troublesome, but losing to Temari would be like salt on a wound.

"A perfect twenty Shikamaru." Temari grinned with pride. "Looks like you're not as much of a slacker as I had thought. Of course that only means you're tied with me."

"Cute."

"I believe it's a three-way now Ms. Temari. Oh but Corporal Nara, you should be more firm with your grip. Shots to the collarbone are still hits, but not confirmed kills." He flipped his card over to reveal almost all twenty smack dab in the center. A couple shots strayed but were still in the circle. He was a crack shot all right, all doubts removed after seeing his target sheet.

"Holy hell…" Temari quietly gasped. Hers wasn't even near that and she did slightly better than me.

"Well! Looks like we have us a deadlock and how fitting too! A regular national competition between the best of the Leaf, the best of the Sand, and His Majesty's best if I do say so myself." Captain Momochi exclaimed breaking through our little chat circle causing the corporal and I to stiffen up. How did he pop out of nowhere like that? It's like he came right out of the mist…creepy. "We're going to have to find a way to break it. Well…on to the next round. Good thing we asked you lads to set up the Soundie helmets and bottles." He grabbed the bullhorn to address the crowd. "Right then, here's what will happen now. Get those helmets on the posts upside down. You each will have five round to knock down all five helmets. You'll be judged by accuracy and time, with yours truly as the timekeeper. Corporal Okubo, I'm confident you'll do our Airborne lads proud right?"

"Sir!" He clicked his heels. "You won't find me being a div with this sir!"

"Brill. Just what I like t'hear. I've seen your competition before when we were rescued by them and I assure you they're not dossing off either."

"No worries sir. The man's a Leaf, a blunt hammer to our precise sword." Now he was just getting arrogant. I could tell from the slight change in Captain Momochi's eyes.

"Right…well you still have your work cut out for you. Remember that pride goeth before the fall corporal. Wouldn't want you to get too proud of yourself should you win."

"Yes sir."

"C'mon Shikamaru!" Choji drove his fist through the air with Naruto joining him. I put my palm to my face with such a display of idiocy.

"Sharpshooter showdown! Kick his ass Shikamaru!" What was it with that kid and corniness?

"Corporal Okubo, you're up first. Load your rounds and get into position."

"Too easy." He took a knee and slammed the bolt of his Enfield home, twisting the knob on his scope until the smile from his face told Temari and I that he was ready.

"Set…and commence firing!" The first shot was a resounding crack that knocked the first helmet clean off. A few seconds later he turned ever so slightly and knocked the second one off. His reload and aiming speed was alarming. I was certainly glad he wasn't a Sound sniper otherwise Temari and I would've had quite a dilemma. I noticed one thing though…he was rushing his shots, trying to push the clock. So far, and as I continued to think the third helmet went down, he's been lucky, but Sarutobi always told me that the patient hunter gets the prey.

"Ten seconds!" The captain yelled out. A few small beads of sweat developed on the man's brow. The next helmet was struck but from the looks of it at an odd angle. It was still a hit. His breathing got a little more tense as the final shot rang out, but to our shock it whacked the top of the post, sending wood splinters everywhere but missing the helmet. He missed.

"Time! Fifteen point four two seconds. Well done corporal." The claps arose from his squad and platoon, but the look on the man's face was more of disappointment. He got too hasty. He wanted the quick victory when a wiser man would've realized that even when the pressure is on a cooler head always prevails.

"All right next up is Temari of the Sand."

"Yeah Temari! You got this on in the bag! Woo!" Of course her brother would be the first to lend her support with the rest of us slowly joining. I thought I heard a familiar female voice also cheering but I was too busy trying to motivate my girlfriend. Heh…my girlfriend…the concept still befuddled me.

"Think a troublesome woman like you can handle this? Shouldn't be too hard…for a woman."

She smirked. "Was that encouragement I heard Shikamaru Nara?"

I smirked right back. "Maybe...maybe." Whatever possessed me to do it I haven't the slightest idea, but I reached over and gave her a peck on the lips. "Good luck bossy lady." She smiled and blushed a little bit as she loaded her five rounds in.

"Ready?" The captain asked her. She nodded as she knelt and steadied her Karabiner. "And commence firing!"

Wasting no time she let loose and lopped the first helmet clean off and in the matter of three seconds nailed the second, the helmet flipping off and landing with a distinctive plunk.

"Yeah Temari!" Kankuro cheered once more. So far she looked like she would break the corporal's time and nail all five. Down went the third one.

"Nine seconds!"

"C'mon Temari!" I unexpectedly cheered. The fourth one went down with relative ease, but as she tried to slide the bolt forward and seal the deal, the worst thing could've happened.

"Fuck! Not now!" She grunted out as the round jammed. With alarmingly fast instinct, she yanked it out and grabbed a spare out of her pocket. Slamming the bolt forward she made a huge mistake in an attempt to save some face, she rushed the shot. It went low and shot right through the post. "Damn it! Damn it all..."

"Time! Eighteen point oh seven seconds. You're out."

"Pity there love. It would've been something else to compete with a fine bird like you. Let's hope the same 'misfortune' doesn't befall your significant other eh love?"

"Shikamaru..."

"Yeah Temari?" I asked rather apprehensive.

"Kick this sum'bitch's ass for me." She whispered right to my ear. "You do that and I swear I'll make it worth your while." Well then...that just made the competition a little interesting. Sure she was annoying and vicious, but the offer of her freely offering sex with me as an incentive was something not even one such as I would ever pass up.

"Pressure's all on me huh?" I muttered to myself. "How nettlesome." Ha. Thought I was going to say troublesome huh?

"Don't fuck this up Nara."

"Yeah Shikamaru! Show 'em how the Leaf Army throws down!" Choji always with the vote of confidence.

"And then there was one." The snooty Water soldier commented as I loaded my rounds.

"Rifle, don't fail me now." I kissed the scope thinking that through the sudden anthropomorphism of my weapon it'd bring me luck. I gotta keep better track of my mind sometimes.

"Shooter ready?" I got right into position and took one deep breath in before holding it. I could sense when the captain was going to give the go-ahead. "Commence firing!"

_POW!_ With a slight exhale I squeezed the trigger and off went the first one. Calmly I reloaded and took down the second with relative ease. Despite the pressure on me, I felt my vision tunneling purely on those helmets, the cheering voices slowing and becoming distant to me. The only things I could listen to were the sounds of the Springfield's report, my surprisingly calm breathing, and the faint ringing in my ear from my pulling the trigger. _POW!_ Again the report went off resonating off my eardrums as number four went down.

"One more Shikamaru! One more!" While slurred and lower in pitch, I could decipher it was none other than Temari.

"_Aim straight, aim true. Nothing gets by me…_" I thought to myself as I swung the rifle to the farthest helmet. "_Nothing…"_, and the last shot came almost naturally. Suddenly the tunnel vision was gone and the sounds became normal once more. All that was left were five posts bereft of helmets. A loud cheer erupted from my squad and 4th.

"Hot damn Shikamaru! They don't call you 'Sure Shot' for nothin'!" Naruto obnoxiously praised as loud as he could. A confident grin emerged from my face, watching my handiwork. So I guess I won huh?

"Time!" That awkward pause that everyone hates while stuck in suspense mode snuck up on us. "Sixteen point one six seconds. Well done lad but you didn't beat his time." Groans rang out from the Leaf soldiers. "But…you hit all five, something even the corporal here couldn't do. Well done. We'll have to go to sudden death here. The two of you go to your respective squads and await my call."

"Well met Corporal Nara. I guess we'll decide a victor in the final round."

"Right. Well…good luck to you." We nodded and I turned back to Temari who gave me a hug despite the fact I didn't necessarily win. "I didn't win Temari, so I guess there's nothing." She smiled and shoved her lips right onto mine.

"I think I can rule the preconditions out." She came right to my ear again. "But if you win the final round though…well I hope your pelvis can take it."

I gulped. "We-well then, since you put it that way…"

"Corporal Nara are you still with us? It's time for the final round." The Water captain called me over in his sophisticated but dark-toned manner. I scurried over as there were bottles scattered at different distances and flat metal objects in his hand. "I decided to make it slightly more challenging. Instead of helmets at the same distance there will be these at different distances and you will be timed. Also at the end I'm going to throw these metal discs up in the air in the end. If you can hit this…you win."

"A little small wouldn't you say sir?" For a man with such pride the Water corporal was awfully sheepish all of a sudden. For once I agreed with him. It seemed rather silly.

"Nonsense. You two both seem to be adept shots so I'm sure one of you could hit it in midair. Corporal Okubo, you are first to go. Now remember...you are timed for the bottles but not the toss."

"Right sir. I won't disappoint sir." The click of his bolt resonated as he loaded his last round.

"Very well...ready...set...and commence fire!" Being the quick draw again, the corporal wasted no time letting off his rounds. He was still under pressure by the clock but this time he had maintained some composure after I had showed him up. So far he had nailed the first two. The third he took a second to breathe and fired, the round striking only the neck of the bottle as it still stood, but of course you had to count it.

"Proper good shootin' lad!" That LT who we scuffled with before cheered amidst the Water crowd. "Keep it up! Beat that Leaf upstart!"

Before I knew it all five bottles were obliterated leaving the clapping and cheering of his comrades the only sounds ringing before the captain silenced them.

"Well done. You time was sixteen point one seven seconds. And now for the final test." He walked about a hundred yards to where the corporal and I stood with the disc in hand. "Are you ready corporal?"

"Yes sir! I'll nail it good!" Taking three more rounds he elegantly placed them inside the chamber and locked it forward.

"On three...one...two...three!" He hoisted it up and it was visible clear as day and right when he lifted it the thing was sent flying backwards. He nailed the first. "Here comes the second." He threw it up again and he winged it but still managed to score the hit.

"Great job Okubo!" The large platoon sergeant yelled in excitement. "Finish 'im off!"

"Last one! Here it comes." With a little more oomph the captain hoisted it and out of sheer apprehension I closed my eyes listening only to the crack of the rifle...but there was no ping. There was only a grunt of frustration. He had missed. Just like the helmets he had rushed the shot and missed.

"Bloody hell!" He yelled quite miffed from the failure.

"Ah nutter. Sorry about that corporal, but you did hit two of three. Unless Corporal Nara here ties or hits all three, you're still in a good running to win. Corporal Nara, are you ready?"

I slid the bolt forward of my weapon after the last .30-06 round fit in nicely. "Ready as I'll ever be sir." I turned and saw my friends all nodding in approval. Even the recently cold Sarutobi gave his blessing.

"Excellent. Ready...set...commence firing." One by one the bottles fell. They were no match for my quick trigger finger. I didn't even need that tunnel vision I got but it came anyway. I never really experienced it unless I was in the heat of battle, as what happened in Kumogakure, Takigakure, and Kusagakure. It was a mental thing I had where all other distractions were tuned out and all that mattered to me was what I saw through the scope or through the end of the barrel of my weapon. By the time I had finished it felt like only five seconds, but I saw the smile on the captain's face meaning I did something well.

"Brilliant. Thirteen point seven five seconds. Well done Corporal Nara." I could hear the cheers of 3rd and 4th squads behind me with the glares of the Water forces. "Now let's see how well you do with this." Stepping into the distance he readied himself. "Load your rounds and prepare yourself."

"Yes sir."

"All right, on three. One...two...three!" He lightly tossed up the first. I had aimed without my scope and managed to nail it but not as cleanly as my competitor.

"Here comes the second!"

"Go Shikamaru!" Choji yelled.

The second disc went up and this time I relied on my scope. It took a second to adjust but again I managed to wing it, counting it as a hit.

"This one's for all the marbles Nara! I want those cigarettes and booze!" Sarutobi screamed which only added pressure to me. Thanks sergeant.

"Final one. One...two...three...oh hell!" His grip slipped and the disc went flying in an off direction, flying higher than any of the others.

"_Shit! I gotta get that! I gotta win! Temari promised me!_" It felt as if time had slowed itself just for me as my scope watched the disc continue to climb. "_Remember Shikamaru...timing is everything. Wait for that moment when everything is at a standstill, then fire. Wait for it...there!_" I closed my eyes and squeezed the trigger. I hadn't heard it at first, but the soft resonance gave me a sign along with the plunk the disc made when hitting the ground. I checked with my scope, nervous as hell, but I saw it. There it lay, with a nice hole right through it. I hit it...I won...

"Hmmmm…" The captain hummed. "We have a winner."

"He did it! Shikamaru won!" Even Ino was somewhat excited.

"YEAH SHIKAMARU!" Naruto screamed at the top of his lungs. "You won!" Soon all of 3rd came in and bum rushed me. I had little time to prepare as Choji and Nazuka nearly knocked me over. I was surrounded by my comrades all trying to get a hand on me. I could barely hold my footing. My lungs felt like they were just put under a vice grip with Choji's bear hug.

"Great shooting corporal. Pity you're not under my wing." Sergeant Mitarashi congratulated me. Sarutobi nodded and showed his approval. After Choji put me down I struggled to stand upright. The glares of the Water soldiers were all around me. Despite my buddies rallying around me I almost felt bad being near the defeated corporal, but as the captain said, "Pride goeth before the fall." His hubris and anxiety to win cost him the competition. I didn't really care too much since it was only for cigarettes and booze…and maybe a little reputation. Regardless, I won. I beat him and I beat Temari…a double victory if I could say so myself. Still, I found some pleasure when Temair just looked at me, smiling with elation.

I extended my hand towards the corporal. "Well done corporal. I gotta say I was a little lucky, but you were a breath of fresh air in competition." Sure I bullshitted the last sentence but I had to play the gracious victors. He looked at my hand and from the looks of it begrudgingly shook it.

"You were lucky Corporal Nara…nothing more." And with that he walked off. Man, talk about a sore loser.

"Ahhhh forget him Shikamaru," Toyama yanked my arm and pulled me back into the throng of Leaf soldiers. "He's just got his panties in a bunch. C'mon let's get what you rightfully won." The range NCO tossed me two packs of their homeland's smokes and presented us with a rather large bottle of an amber-colored liquid. I took one whiff and I felt like my nostrils just singed. It reeked of oak, rubbing alcohol, and I thought I smelled a little anti-freeze in there, but the last part was just some typical apprehension with the mystery liquid.

"Hey! Me first!" The firebrand 4th squad leader snatched the bottle from my hand and took a little swig. Her body twitched and she exhaled as if she just swallowed a chili pepper. "Holy mother…that's some strong shit! I want another one!" She took a larger swig as we just stared.

"Jeeeeeesus Corporal Nara," Inari's lighthearted voice came from behind me, "your women certainly know how to throw back don't they? Ya sure they don't have some sorta ancestry from my home?"

"Sergeant Mitarashi is for lack of a better word…different than most women Inari." I dryly replied as she fought off two soldiers trying to get in on the booze. "But the only satisfaction I have is that I don't have her as a squad leader. My poor friend Naruto does on the other hand. Meanwhile I get Sergeant Sarutobi."

"And speaking of myself, I'll be taking those." like a hawk on a mouse he snatched the two packs of cigarettes. "Good work Nara. You did your squad leader proud. Besides, we're done with training so once we're done with chow, let's have a little celebration eh?"

"I guess. Could I nap instead?"

"Feh. We're gonna have one and you're part of it."

The chattering silenced as the captain approached and cut himself in between the jubilant Leaf soldiers and his own somber comrades. "Troopers, that was a good exhibition if I do say so myself." He turned to his soldiers. "Now there's nothing to lament over lads. He won fair and square but you still did a bloody fine job. These sorts of things are supposed to help foster unity, not segregation, so I encourage you all to have some fun with your allies. After all, you will be working with them in a week in the Rain Nation, so I suggest getting off on the right foot am I right?" The throng of them just muttered in affirmation, that or spoke some sort of Water tongue alien to my ears. "Very good. Well get some supper and try not to have too much fun. You'll need a good kip for tomorrow because we won't be getting off earlier unlike today. You are dismissed." The soldiers crisply saluted and parted. Corporal Okubo was nowhere to be seen.

"Ah no worries lad. The sharpshooter just got a bug up 'is arse 'cause someone showed 'im up." One of the more amicable Airborne troopers tried to reassure me. "C'mon. Let's treat you guys to some rat packs. It's not back home dining but it's better than eating shite."

A few hours had passed since the contest and our stomachs were good and full. Contrary to the naysayers aiming for political correctness, the cooking of the Water was odd to say the least. Nevertheless, we had our fill and Choji had his twice over. Even their weirdo mutton dishes and kidney meals didn't stop him, but it was of no surprise to me. Naruto was a little more depressed since he didn't get his ramen fix but you can't have your cake and eat it too. Back in our designated tents many of the guys and gals were having a ball, save for maybe the once again brooding Ino. I happened to notice an hour into the little get-together Naruto taking a seat somewhere out of most of the other troopers' views. He pulled out that tiny little bag, the same one which held the ring he'd propose to Hinata with, and carefully felt it through the fibers. He missed her already. That was a no-brainer. I guess the severity of the mission finally managed to spook him and his plans with her after the war. I had nothing to say so I left him be.

"What's got your goat there lad?" Inari nudged me ever so roughly. "You look a little blue."

"Nah…just tired. The stress of the contest wore me out that's all."

"Ah hell. Ya wanna know what'll take care o' that?" He grabbed the bottle of booze and filled it in a small metal cup. "Haven't seen ya take a sip all day."

"No thanks. I really don't wanna."

"C'mon Nara…ya don't need to be a fanny. Just this once ok? You earned it n' all." I caved in and slugged it down. I wish I hadn't. It felt like the liquid suddenly grew talons and eviscerated my throat on its way down. The sudden uneasiness of my stomach was also a good sign. "All right…one more." He grinned as he poured a second shot into the cup.

"Are you crazy?"

"Nah, just a man who's used to the brew. Come on now Nara…it'll grow some hair on yer chest it will. Drink it." I had no idea what possessed me to do it, but I did it again. The second one felt worse than the first. "There ya go lad. Lighten up. Not everything is as 'troublesome' as you say it is." Oh jeez Inari, thanks for the words of encouragement. What a drag.

Over time the crowd thinned out as most of them, including Naruto, Inari, Choji, Sarutobi, and Ino went outside to shoot the shit. Pretty soon it was dead quiet…an almost eerie silence enveloping inside the tent. It was perfect though. I finally had time to reflect. Laying down on the tightly strung cot, I closed my eyes and tried to absorb everything that's gone down these past two weeks. The alcohol that was practically force fed to me helped my body slow down but kept me thinking nonetheless. The Akatsuki Panzer Lehr, the death of Captain Umino, Tobi, Itachi and the revelation of Sasuke's family, Kusagakure and those dreadful rockets, Ino becoming parentless, and now this more than scary mission. If I were brand new to this game my heart would be thumping right now trying to absorb it all, but it wasn't. All that remained was a cold chill and a sense of foreboding to replace the panicked anxiety. It was gonna be troublesome...as was everything in this part of my life. I wondered to myself, where was this all going and what was down the road? Sometimes I feared about hypothetical situations even to the point where I freaked myself the fuck out.

"What would happen should Sarutobi...no...I shouldn't even think about that. What's wrong with you Shikamaru? I mean...you don't wanna bear that burden. They'll have to depend on you. Choji, Ino, Temari...I'd be responsible for all of them. I couldn't do it. I wouldn't know what to do. This is so troublesome."

Suddenly I felt a soft body on me with strands of hair on my face. "You talk to yourself way to much lazy." It was Temari. Where the hell did she come from? Regardless, my senses suddenly started picking up in impulse. I could feel the silkiness of her arms as I noticed she was wearing only her tank top and uniform pants. Her boots plopped right next to the cot as she slipped herself under my blanket and right on top of me. A sigh from her lips revealed the slight scent of alcohol which if anything probably got her even more enamored with me. Alcohol tends to do that to women. Inadvertently watching a tipsy Sakura get tongue-tied with Sasuke certainly showed validity in my statement. "I've still got a reward to give you hot shot."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, so here it is." Resting on both knees she took off her blouse and other accessories and right in front of my very eyes was the very body I had fallen in love with. God her breasts were amazing. "Congrats Shikamaru. Now as a reward, I'm yours." She lowered herself on me, her breasts pressing against my chest as she nibbled my neck and earlobe, sending all sorts of shockwaves through my body. She grabbed my hands and glided them along her shoulders and onto her chest, low but arousing moans emanating from her mouth.

"Temari."

"I'm yours Shikamaru, now and forever. Take me, touch me." Her fingers weaved through my hair and her lips were all over my body and face. If I were a man of weaker constitution, I would've already been naked and insanely making love to her, but my apprehensions and worries kept killing my arousal. What the hell was wrong with me? Here I had the woman of my dreams throwing herself at me and I still suffered from ridiculous mental conflicts.

"Temari. I...I can't do this."

"Wha-what? What's wrong?" She rested to my side but still ran her hands through my hair and along my face. Despite the alcohol in her, a look of general concern, something I hadn't seen in a while, replaced her lustful demeanor. "Shikamaru, you're...you're scared aren't you? It's ok. I won't call you crybaby or nothin'." I was afraid that was for sure, but oddly enough the warmth of her body next to mine made me feel slightly more at ease.

"I dunno Temari. It's just...Sarutobi...and Ino. I'm actually worried for them and I'm worried for their well-being and sanity. For the first time in my life, I'm actually dead worried. I sound like such a pansy for saying it and it's troublesome as all get out, but it's true. And above anyone else, I'm concerned the most about...about you. I don't want anything happening to you. I saw the look on your face when that traitor Sasori was mentioned. I saw the rage and bloodlust. I don't want you getting hurt trying to pursue a vendetta Temari. I don't want you do die and leave me, all for vengeance." She stopped her hands except one gripping my left hand tightly. Her eyes and mouth opened, actually touched by my words.

"Shikamaru." Our heavy breathing was all that came out for a good minute. "You...you lazy, whiny bastard. I won't leave you Shikamaru, not now or ever. I will never let that come to pass. I love you too much to allow it. I'll be there by your side Shikamaru, always. I won't leave you."

"Temari." I reached over and kissed her. I had to admit I was touched by her vows, just like I'm sure she was with mine those months back. She rolled back on top of me.

"I want you to have me Shikamaru. You still deserve your reward and here I am...all yours." She unfastened her pants and quickly made short work of mine. With the worry mostly removed, I could feel the passion burning through me again. My hands slid down towards her buttocks and with a gentle squeeze she moaned again. It felt like the prisoner camp rescue all over again. She pressed herself into me and I felt her warmth. Sure we were sweaty and dirty from all the training and our clothes but we were past the point of caring. Her elbows rest themselves at my sides as her hands gripped my head, bringing her head downwards, the two of us sharing passionate kisses. She gracefully slid back and forth on top of me, her moans and groans mixed in and muffled with our lips locking. For that brief moment I felt like I was in heaven, rewarded by a higher power with such a beautiful woman that I'd be making love to, a diamond in the rough land of the Sand Nation, a desert rose. She was my desert rose. All the troublesome feelings I had with her and this war were washing away in the moment of love. "Shikamaru, don't stop. Please. Harder, I want to feel you harder and deeper. I love you." Her plea was broken up in between the motion but I humbly obliged and gave her what she wanted. In a good show of discipline she wasn't screaming loud enough for everyone to hear as she called out my name.

"Temari. Oh my God...Temari." I didn't know what to say. I've had sex with this woman numerous times ever since that fateful first night in the Waterfall Nation, but tonight just felt fucking magical. I had never felt such a bond with a woman before. This fiery blonde, this troublesome, bossy, bitchy, dangerous woman, she had slipped through all of my defenses, outmaneuvered my wit and sarcasm, fought through my cynicism, and struck right where it mattered the most, my heart. I was past the point of caring if anybody saw us and it surprisingly fit in well with my generally apathetic attitude. My hands reached up and felt her soft bosom, her hands keeping mine there as she tilted her head back, the lines of her neck detailed against the glow of the lights outside and her hair curtaining her back and her head stayed cocked back for a good thirty seconds and she still went back and forth on top of me, continuing to moan and whisper her love for me. It was like this for a good half-hour, like the heavens gave us this time to show our affection once more.

"Oh God...Shikamaru..." She sounded like she was ready. I wanted to help her. I squeezed her hips and drove her deeper. She grunted and grabbed my chest. Had she dug in deeper she'd have broken my skin. Biting her lip, she continued to thrust herself on me before she dove right back towards my lips. As the pace quickened she put her tongue in my mouth and licked all around. "Shika...It wasn'maru...I love you, I love you...I...I...I love youuuuu!" She held that one longer as I assumed she had almost reached her climax.

"Temari!" I was rather close myself as we finished it in good time and with noise discipline. "Gnnnn...! Tem...Temari...!" I made sure I was out before anything happened. From the looks of it she was incredibly satisfied and I'll even admit that during those forty-five minutes to an hour, I was in sheer bliss. "Temari."

"Shikamaru." She held me close to her as we were covered in sweat and the musk of sex. My head rested itself near her chest and beneath her tender breast I could hear her heart still pounding.

"Temari. I love you. Please...don't ever leave me, remember what I asked of you like you asked of me."

"Shikamaru, I love you too and I promise...I will not leave you. I promise..."

My desert rose...


	36. Chapter 36

A full week had passed with the volunteer Leaf forces training with the Water Airborne. Each passing day the training became more and more intense. As much of bullshit as the training was, those of us that complained about it also begrudgingly accepted the necessity of it. Temari and Kankuro seemed to have calmed down a little bit and Ino crawled out of whatever brooding shell she's been in. It didn't last long with Ino but it was refreshing to see her at those rare moments which helped out 3rd squad's morale some. In comparison the jovial natures of Naruto and Ayako kept the spirits of 4th squad at a consistently good level, even if Sergeant Mitarashi was trying to keep a lid on them. I dunno about Ayako but I knew Naruto was all cheery to also dull the pain of being away from Hinata for a week already and even longer when the mission started. Guess that's why they felt like that little quickie then huh?

One thing you could say was better despite the training getting worse was that the bond between Water and Leaf was starting to form again. Sure that snooty corporal that I defeated was still having sour grapes over the matter but it was too much of an effort to try to bury any hatchet, especially since I committed no wrong. We had heard word of more rocket attacks harassing allied forces coupled with small skirmishes along the border between the Grass and Rain Nations, but nothing significant. My guess was they were trying to deter any and all invasions and using those damned rockets as their main tool. As long as we were on the other side of the fence they were free to do whatever the hell they wanted with them. The evening was cool with a crisp breeze flowing through the tents. My squad along with 4th were prepping our equipment to handle the gliders. Front-loading was going to give me a hernia I swear to the heavens but I guess it's better than not being properly seating and bouncing around the plane like a rubber ball. I found myself sitting down, loading my bullets into stripper clips while entranced with the setting sun. The dark orange gleam lit the clouds as if someone had taken a match to them. It was like my favorite relaxing activity giving me a cock tease before the inevitable shitstorm that was to follow. Oh well, I guess the sky had good intentions right?

"You cloud watching again crybaby?" The soothing voice asks me as her hand slides its way up my back and gently squeezes my shoulder. Since we had consummated our love that first training day things got a little less troublesome with her.

"Have you noticed?"

She stopped to finally try and see the clouds the way I did. With a simple nod she replied, "You're right. They are rather beautiful, but it seems your head is up there as well like you want it to be there."

"You have no idea Temari."

"If wishes were horses…"

"Yeah, yeah, beggars would ride. I know." The sigh that came from my lips only goaded her to get closer, this time slowly massaging my shoulders as I continued to load rounds into my pouch. I felt like it should've been annoying me the way Ino used to chirp like a harpy but truth be told it really didn't. "I just wish I wasn't here right now and soon to be in a plane where I can't control my fate and instead I trust on the skills of some pilots in a Soundie-infested nation."

"Would you have preferred marching cross-country ya bum?"

"Good point."

Temari pulled out her stopwatch and scanned at the antiquity. It was a brass-colored relic that probably belonged to her parents or her elder she mentioned before, Chiyo. "It's almost time." She meant of course the time we were board the gliders and prepare for takeoff.

"That it is." I sighed out. We had already gotten the briefings from Captain Momochi concerning the different flight patterns. The same group that we had quarreled with we had now gotten along with…for the most part including that Water LT. She still had a bit of an issue with command but maybe she'll get past that…but likely not. We'd have a couple Spitfires escorting us but that would be only around the border area. After that we were on our own and hopefully we'd evade their guns. But of course, what would really go down would be us in a real mess with our plane getting shot down and most if not all of us meeting an untimely demise. Sometimes my cynicism was unhealthy. Luckily the concern I had for Temari, Choji, and Naruto who still had to propose to Hinata negated it. "I hate flying, I really do."

"Really? I figured you'd have liked it since you're still so obsessive over the clouds. You keep harping how you wish you were up there with them."

"Yeah but not in a tin can just begging to burst into flames. You really don't catch onto detail do you Temari?" That snippy remark earned a rather uncomfortable squeeze on my shoulders.

"I do. I just like giving you a hard time you cynical schmuck. You're just impossible and you still manage to play right into my hands. You're a good man toy Shikamaru."

"And you're still bothersome even though I met you a little less than a year ago." Her hands slid over my shoulders and down to my chest where she held me in an embrace.

"How are we ever gonna keep this going if you keep up with this whining?"  
I closed my eyes and tried to gather my thoughts. "Maybe something'll get worked out. I think it should start with you."

"Keep dreaming lover boy."

"Ugh…typical of you to say that. I hate pet names." My head felt the soft, massaging stroke of her fingers as she just snickered like she did when we were in the Waterfall Nation. "How many hours left Temari?"

"We've got five more, then we take off."

"As much as it kills my pride and my character, I'm nervous."

"Shikamaru," her face nuzzled with mine softly, "you wouldn't be human if you weren't." I still didn't really know what was with this woman and how she penetrated my defenses with such ease. The tendencies to carry on with such thoughts made me worry too much and that in and of itself was a bother to me.

"Temari…" My hand met hers and we shared a quick moment of tenderness before I caught Sarutobi and the rest of 3rd moving our way. "Shit. Here they come."

Sarutobi flowed right through the flaps of the tent and made his way towards the water cans and ammunition boxes. "Knock it off you two." Temari and I scooted away from each other. "All right 3rd let's do our final checks. I want everyone with full everything, so that includes your mags, your canteens, and your rations. We'll have no support from anyone so you guys had better be prepared. If you lose something or it gets destroyed, your buddy will share will you and should your buddy be low, I expect you to do the same. Akimichi you feel comfy enough with your .30 cal?"

"Like it's an extension of myself sergeant." He confidently replied.

"Good. It's gonna be rough carrying that bad boy around but it's the most firepower we have save for some of the stovepipes."

"That reminds me," Temari whispered, "Kankuro's not too happy getting the Water's version of his weapon. That thing was like a pet to him. Silly…"

"Some people get that way with their weapons."

"Let's also get some chow before we leave. I have a feeling that we're not gonna be eating a hot meal for a while."

Choji lit up. "I couldn't agree more sergeant!"

I chuckled. "Of course you wouldn't."

An hour had passed, four more hours left to go. The food was satisfactory but of course I felt like it could've been better. Alas that was my spoiled side kicking in when I knew that what Sarutobi had said before was going to ring true. Temari and I stocked up all the food we could pack and the shit we wanted as well. I figured an extra snack for Choji or Sarutobi, since half of his pouches were filled with smokes, would've been a plum nice thing to do.

Three hours left. A slight shakiness developed in me but I was sure I wasn't the only one. The air was getting cold not only with the fading of the sun but the sense of foreboding and inevitable conflict where there would be blood, sweat, and tears, the three of them preferred to be more with the Soundies than with me and my comrades. Darkness had enveloped the camp but the lights from the command tents and planes helped our eyesight some, only to screw us over when we had to walk through the twilight, our eyes adjusting slower than we had hoped. Ino took a bad digger over some ammo tins about a half-hour ago but she was ok. She was more pissed that we, including Choji, were laughing when it happened. Reminding herself of the ticking clock she did what she could to blow it off. The girls were taking care of personal business somewhere else that I dared not venture to. Meanwhile I found a little section of the camp lacking a crowd and decided to take a seat and gather my thoughts. The gentle wind flowed through the strands of my hair and in the crevices of my uniform. My hands cradled my head as I closed my eyes and tried to relax. I heard footsteps.

"Hey buddy…trying to get a quick nap? Sorry if that's the case."

"Nah Choji, just sitting down away from the noise. I'm getting a headache from all that. Even a few minutes is good for me."

"Mind if I join?" His question was innocent enough and looking around it was just him and no one else.

"Sure." He sat himself up against the wall as best as he could, a heavy sigh leaving his lips.

"Ya know I never really thanked you for what you told me about Ino."

I raised my hand up and interrupted him. "No need Choji. I really don't like being a blabbermouth normally with such troublesome topics, but I figured I owed it to ya for everything. Consider it an incredibly early birthday present so now if this war is over come May I owe you nothing." I grinned devilishly at him to which he just laughed.

"All right…that seems fair to me. You broke character and gave me confirmation that Ino is in love with me. That's more than I could ask for buddy. I'll just try not to fuck it up."

"You better not. I had to deal with a sap session with her with to me is the equivalent to getting my teeth pulled out."

"Spare me the detail Shikamaru." He scoffed sarcastically.

"I will repeat myself though Choji. She's your responsibility now. Her parents are gone and from the looks of it you're going to be the closest thing she's got. Sarutobi comes in a very close second."

He paused before turned his head to me. "You think Ino's ok?"

"Choji…her parents were just killed a little more than a week ago. Shit, even I'd still be traumatized. If a man like Sarutobi is still bent on vengeance, you can bet your bottom dollar that an emotional girl in her twenties who just lost her guardians will be even more lusting for payback. All we gotta do is make sure she doesn't get herself killed because Sarutobi can't keep his eyes on her twenty-four seven."

"I know Shikamaru…I just…I just never woulda thought that such a fate befall Ino of all people. I always enjoyed her sunny demeanor and the brightness in those blue eyes of hers, but now…"

"Death never discriminates Choji. You know that as well as I. We've seen the devastation wrought by the bombs. Men, women, and even children have died. Mr. and Mrs. Yamanaka were no different and we gotta accept that while being grateful that it wasn't our parents who suffered from those rockets."

"Amen to that friend. Well if that's the path that has been decided for Ino then I will do what I can to be by her side. If I can I'll have her stick by me and Nazuka…figures one of us can watch her and she'll get more protection with me than with you an' Temari no offense."

"None taken. The fewer soldiers I have to baby-sit the better. Speaking of the babysitter, how about Sarutobi?"

"Well he hasn't been givin' you that 'You could be sergeant someday Nara' talk has he Shikamaru?"

"No. No he hasn't which is rather strange because he was so upbeat about that damn possibility when I lead those guys out of that goat fuck battle back in Kusa."

Choji looked startled for a second. "You don't think…"

"Don't say it Choji." I shrunk my head into my uniform as much as I could. "I know what you're thinking and I'd prefer you'd not say it."

"But…"

"Please Choji. The less I ever have to reflect on it the more peace of mind I can get. I'm not trying to be a dick and I understand my responsibilities as a corporal, but in this war usually the ways someone obtains a higher rank is…"

"Yeah…sorry to bring it up."

"It's ok." Neither of us wanted to think about it but it was still in the realm of possibility.

While it gnawed at me that the possibility of me being in charge existed, it burdened me even more that it'd be at the expense of someone else. If I had to be in charge of someone I would never want it to be my own squad. Looking after Choji and Ino would kill me on the inside, especially if something happened to them. Back in Kusa, I wasn't in charge of those two per se, but I did have to look out for Naruto, Hinata, Kankuro, and more importantly Temari. Granted that was one incredible clusterfuck that was one in a million, ironic and expected that it befall me of course, but it happened and I was damn lucky to survive that.

"Hey Shikamaru." Choji nudged me.

"Yeah?"

"Pardon the sap but I'm glad I'm fighting this war in the same squad as you. We coulda been in different platoons or different companies or hell even different squads, but we were lucky and here we are, about to go into battle once again. I'm glad I'm doing this with you man."

I patted him on the shoulder. "Thanks Choji. I'm glad too. Friends aren't too plentiful with me but you're one of the good ones. Too bad we don't have any sake or nothin' to toast to that."

"Seriously. Big things are going down."

"That they are friend."

He paused for a second. "I love her Shikamaru."

I chuckled. "I know you do. Shit everyone knows you do…and now you have her."

"I just wished it didn't have to go down like this though."

His lament made me think of Temari for a second and I agreed with him. "I think there are a lot of things that we wish happened without this war but they did so we gotta take 'em for what they're worth. We just have to survive to hold onto those things we care about Choji."

He laughed. "Since when did the lazy Shikamaru Nara become such a man of philosophy?"

"Ever since you people forced me to be one. God…you have no idea how troublesome it is. I just wanted to lay out in the fields all day at my farm and…"

"Yeah, yeah…stare at the clouds for hours. Jeez we've heard that sob story a million times. Looks like it wasn't in the cards for you pal."

"Shit."

Two hours. That uneasy feeling crept into me again despite Choji's best efforts to lighten the mood. Didn't really see much of Sarutobi since he was getting a quick brief. The gliders were fueled and the pilots testing all of their equipment. I bet they were more scared shitless than we were. I always heard the Sound pilots took more pleasure in killing the pilots themselves shooting the cockpits directly instead of relying on the crash or whoever was down below to finish the job. I thought it was silly until I've heard the stories and seen some of the wreckage myself in past battles. It's nothing to take lightly.

"Sergeant…I don't feel too good." Sugiyama moaned clutching her stomach.

Sarutobi looked at her as if he knew exactly what was wrong. "C'mon over here private…" The two of them walked out of the tent and around the back where not even the sounds of others could drown out her puking. Ah the old pre-combat jitters. They left Choji and I faster than you could say Konoha.

"That's it private…get it all out." He spoke to her like a father which upon retrospect, it's kind of what he was. Meanwhile she was whimpering a little bit but with the sergeant nearby I bet she was trying to tough it out. A minute later they both walked back in, Sugiyama wiping her mouth with her sleeve and slowly slinking away to where Toyama was sitting. She took a swig from her canteen and spit out whatever else was there before refilling.

"Ok 3rd, listen up." He huffed as he lit up a cigarette, resting the burning stick at the corner of his mouth. "We're boarding the planes in one hour. Now you all say we're all stocked up and 4th squad finally has their shit together so I want a last inspection before we get on and someone pulls an 'oh shit' moment. Get in line."

All nine of us huddled up as Sarutobi gave us the usual checkup. It wasn't the turn your head and cough one but he was close enough to make it feel that way. Sugiyama was still shaking a little bit, but a slight grin and firm hand on the shoulder from the sergeant made her feel a little better.

"Ok you guys are good. Akimichi you got enough food for yourself."

"And then some sergeant…"

"That's what I like to hear. Corporal, how are you doing?" I could feel his breath flowing into my face, the smell of nicotine in my passages already.

"Fit as a fiddle sergeant."

"Good. Yamanaka, you able to carry as much medical things as you need?"

"It's a little heavy sergeant but I'll manage."

"What about food, water, and ammo?"

"I'm good to go sergeant."

"Good. Guys let's get ready."

One hour. Not a word was needed to be said as the night air cooled and we strode our way towards the gliders.

"Asuma! Long time, no see!" Sergeant Mitarashi blared out as 4th followed, merging into us from the left. She jogged right up to Sarutobi and ruffled his hair much to his annoyance.

"Anko…cheery as always."

"Oh come on Asuma, don't be such a baby. You really hate flying that much?"

"I'd rather be walking any day." It was like watching two kids sometimes, one playful and vivacious and the other reserved but calm.

"Well just the thought of taking my gun and ramming into some Soundie's face gives me a nice warm and fuzzy, especially after everything those bastards did."

The two of them, or rather just Mitarashi, blabbed on for another minute while we casually strolled behind them. I caught Naruto from the corner of my eye.

"Ready Shikamaru?"

"As if I have a choice Naruto?"

He slung his rifle over his shoulder. "No I guess not, but I can guarantee you that I'm ready to kick some ass. Believe it. Right Konohamaru?"

"Right boss!"

"That kid ever call you by your real name Naruto?" Choji inquired as he was kinda puzzled with the whole status Naruto had with Sarutobi's nephew.

He looked at Konohamaru whose back who scooted up a little farther to get close to his uncle, then he turned to Choji and I. "Nah. Besides…I kinda like the whole idea of a protégé, reminds me a little of myself and…Iruka." He held his head a little low with that one but picked it right back up, understanding his new role. "Well regardless, he'd want me to look after the kid just like he did me, and who better of a role model than Naruto Uzumaki huh?"

I rolled my eyes to which he caught with slight annoyance.

"Ah you're just being a hater Shikamaru. You don't have anyone that's lookin' up to ya that's all."

"Whatever Naruto."

I then noticed despite the confident face he bore, he was furiously rubbing the cloth sack with that ring inside. "What?" He asked me puzzled by my inquisitive looks.

"Nothing." I was about to say more but the droning of the planes drowned out my voice. They were ready.

"C'mon lads, c'mon! It's time to board up!" The Water captain yelled through the bullhorn he had. Around him lieutenants and flight crews scurried around him making sure everything was operational and going according to plan. Given the delicacy of this operation I wasn't surprised.

"In we go 4th Platoon!" The same LT who we had been training with the whole time waved at her soldiers and ours from outside the hatchway. According to the briefings, this 4th Platoon of the Water Airborne along with my squad and 4th were going to assault the rocket base southeast of the borderline. Turns out they wanted a platoon plus element instead of two squads. Hell, whatever meant the enemy shooting at me less was grand in my eyes. It was just this woman who bothered me. I always had a beef with women in leadership roles but I was wise never to publicly announce it. Of course I'd dare not insult Major Shizune or the now Brigadier General Tsunade to their face or to my comrades but that didn't mean I got apprehensive of them. I mean the last thing I'd ever want is Mitarashi or worse…someone like Sakura or Ino barking orders at me. It made it worse seeing this woman's decisions controlling my fate along with those of Ino, Choji, Temari, and especially Sarutobi.

The cabins inside were a little cramped. Our two squads shared the plane with the LT and one other squad of her own troops. We packed on as much as we could seeing how long we were going to be away from any friendly establishments.

"Think the plane will take off with all this extra weight?" Toyama nudged me while pointing to Choji. He turned and glared at him.

"Real subtle Kaz…real subtle."

"Knock it off 3rd squad." Sarutobi tersely said aloud.

"Feelin' all right bro?" Temari asked lightheartedly to Kankuro who was fiddling with his harnesses in a fit of frustration.

"Yeah…never friggin' better sis. How about giving me a hand with these damn straps? I swear to God this is a bigger pain in the ass than you'd think."

"Ugh...you're the pain in the ass sometimes ya know that?" She groaned as she guided his arm through one and got him untangled with the other. "It boggles my mind how you could work the delicate strings of those puppets yet you fail miserably with the harness of a transport plane."

He snarled in animosity. "Just shut up and help…"

"Whatever…seems like I'm always fixing something for you. Just a little twist and…there. You're all set Kankuro. Try not to tangle yourself again."

"Thanks…sis." He reluctantly muttered while turning his head.

"Love you too little bro." She snickered and pecked him on the forehead. I smirked at the spectacle but who wouldn't?

"Awwwww now ain't that the most touching thing you've ever seen?" Naruto joked aloud earning the glare from the Sand siblings. I dared not say a thing.

"'ow much time we got sir?" The LT asked Captain Momochi rather gingerly as he walked in from the hatch. Turns out he wasn't going on this ride with us but he wanted to wish his scattered men and women good luck.

"About twenty-five more minutes. Doors will be closing in ten. I assume your troops are fit and ready for the flight leftenant."

"They're as ready as can be sir. We won't let you down."

"Right. Good luck then and Godspeed all of you." With a crisp salute from the young woman Captain Momochi took off.

"Damn shame he won't be with us huh?" Choji pondered.

"Yeah…but at least that Wave fella Inari will be even if he's in the other plane." Naruto commented.

Choji nodded back. "True. Hope he'll be all right. I kinda like that guy." Of course I already knew why he thought Inari was a good man, mostly because of his never-say-die attitude to which he imparted as advice to the lamenting-over-Ino at the time Choji.

"Ten minutes!" The pilot and his assistant screamed out. "Get yer arses in those seats and fasten all yer harnesses. It's going ta be a bumpy takeoff lads!"

"Wonderful…as if I wasn't freaked enough that we'd be picked off from the sky, now I fear we'll run into a tree before we're airborne."

Temari turned her head. "Tell me Shikamaru…do you always complain this heavily?"

"I do it just for shits, but now I can do it just for you if you fancy." She scoffed and just sat there but I caught a little smile. She liked my cynical nature but she dared not show it sometimes.

"Five minutes!" With a sudden jolt the airplane started its gradual movement towards the runway, the crews loading the tow hitch from which the other planes would put us up in the sky. Several other gliders took off ahead of us. We were the last ones to go. The glider turned and the lights went on, the pilots guiding it to the makeshift runway we walked around for a week straight. The grass and slightly lumped ground made the slow ride to the runway already a bumpy pain in my ass as the anticipation of flying certainly made all of our hearts speed up the beat.

"We gonna be ok boss? I've never flown before."

"Konohamaru…you'll be all right. Your uncle's here and I assure you…we'll be all right." Sarutobi in a rare moment comforted him with a warm tone and a confident smile. The boy's nervousness seemed to fade as he also looked at Naruto who nodded in agreement. It was moments like that which made me glad he was my squad leader.

I held my hands on top of my thighs firmly to help reduce the tension. Suddenly another's touch was felt, soft and delicate. It was Temari. Her hand grasped mine as her thumb stroked the top of it.

"A little tense there?" Her calm demeanor dug under my skin.

"No. I'm fine." Sure as sure I could only respond in the classic way I always did, reluctant to show any weakness in front of a woman such as her.

"It's ok whiner."

I scoffed at her arrogance. Thank God she was nothing more than a partisan. If she were my platoon leader or worse…my squad leader, desertion and/or suicide wouldn't be nearly as repugnant of notions to consider. Well…at least she's not Ino.

"Angel Eight to base, preparing for takeoff with Angel Seven."

"Copy that Angel Eight. Runway is clear. Angel Seven departs in one minute."

"This is Angel Seven. I read you loud and clear. Preparing for takeoff."

I could hear several of the soldiers muttering to themselves, some praying and some just trying to take their minds off of the takeoff. Ahead of us the roar of the glider flowed through the cabin as the first batch of soldiers just took off and I knew it wouldn't be long before we were right behind them.

"This is base Angel Eight. You are ready for takeoff in T-minus ten…nine…eight…" every passing second resonated with a heavier heartbeat. "Two…one…"

Suddenly everyone in the cabin was thrust backwards as the plane started its acceleration, pulled by the tow plane with surprising violence.

"Oh God…oh God…oh God…" Despite her usual confident and plucky demeanor, Sugiyama was quite afraid as she clung to her rifle…and Toyama…as tightly as she could. A couple of the newer soldiers also whimpered as the plane continued to barrel down the runway.

"Damn controls…come on…bloody work for me!" The co-pilot yelled which I wish she hadn't. Suddenly a little panic set through the cabin.

"The bloody 'ell is goin' on up there?" The LT screamed as loud as she could.

"Just sit tight! We'll get 'er flyin'!" The pilot responded, not even bothering to let anyone know what the deal was. The ride got real bumpy as our straps strained to hold us in, my very own digging into my clothing. "C'mon girl…work for me, pick up that speed."

"We gotta turn around! We won't reach it past the runway!" His co-pilot yelled. Turns out she was just as worried as everyone else.

"Yes we bloody will! Just trust me…"

"Shit." I muttered.

The plane was picking up speed that was for sure, but what irked me the most was that I couldn't see shit outside.

"C'mon girl…just get enough speed. We're almost there…almost…" Faster and faster the glider went down the runway, yet I could imagine the end nearing where it'd be nothing but tall grass and some trees that would love to crunch against a fast-moving sled of metal with some soft cargo inside waiting to get squished. I loved how my mind worked with imagery like that, and by love I mean love like I would the flu or a hernia.

"Not much time left captain!" The co-pilot yelled once more.

"We've got it…almost there…and…pull!" It felt as if he was talking more to himself than anyone else but if it kept him functional then shit, who am I to complain? The plane lurched up and I could literally feel the wheels pick themselves right off the ground, skimming right atop the tall grass. We had made it, but by a God damn hair.

"Holy shite. Captain that was a close one, please don't pull that off again."

"You're telling me…thanks girl. Base, this is Angel Eight. We are flying high and trailing right behind Angel Seven."

"Roger that. Continue course. Aegis One and Two have been assigned as your escort but one you reach the border between here and the Rain Nation, I'm afraid to say that they'll be pulling back and you'll be on your own. Good luck…all of you."

"For His Majesty, the Mizukage."

"For His Majesty…base out."

"Hey Yuriko…you look like you're gonna…oh shit!" Nakamura screamed almost like a girl when the poor private kept lurching and trying to hold her mouth. Her efforts were in vain. As expected she hurled a little bit more on the plane's deck as if those hours ago wasn't enough, eliciting groans and cries of disgust from the other passengers. Seems it was contagious as one of the Water soldiers, a young and pale private, followed Sugiyama's lead and threw up himself.

"Ah Jesus…ya nearly hit my boot!" The guy next to him yelled.

"Sorry…sorry mate." The kid meekly apologized in between gasps of air.

"Knock it off lads! The kid's sick all because of that Leaf private. Cut him some slack." The LT snarled at the complaining soldiers.

"Ah blow me you fairy." Sergeant Mitarashi in her typical arrogant fashion snapped right back at the antagonistic officer.

"Anko just shut up this one time ok?" And in a rare moment, Mitarashi actually complied. "Sorry ma'am…she's new. She's never flown before."

"That's fine sergeant. Just…keep better discipline of your soldiers." Wow for a woman we thought we got an iota of a rapport with she sure became a bitch again. Maybe she took lessons from Mitarashi.

Twenty minutes passed with us in the air. Occasionally we'd get a bump or two as the pilots changed elevation or speed. These gliders had to stay low to the ground otherwise the Sound Luftwaffe or those damn 88s would pluck us right from out of the sky.

"How ya doin' corporal?" Sarutobi's gruff voice asked me amidst the silence from everyone else.

"I'm, I'm ok sergeant."

"Good. I'm gonna need you for some help this time Nara."

"Me? Help?" It was rather alien to hear Sarutobi asking for help from me. Most if not all the time it was the other way around in 3rd squad.

"Yeah you heard me right so instead of just blowing me off this time you're gonna listen. I've never done an operation this small and especially with a leader that wasn't LT Lee or anyone that wasn't a Leaf officer." His tone was serious but light as to minimize the number of people who could hear. Luckily for us a good portion of the soldiers were trying to get as much rest as they could. "I got nothing really against this lady, but I don't feel one hundred percent comfortable with such a small number and her and that massive platoon sergeant leading us Leaf soldiers. That's where you come in. I get the gut feeling I'll be having to lead our own with those Water soldiers busy looking after themselves so I need you to help keep track of the others from 3rd. Anko will be ok with her own but this is important Nara. You showed your stuff back in Kusa…"

"But sergeant c'mon…"

"No c'mon Nara…it's time for you to man up again. I gave you that extra chevron for a reason and I expect you to prove me right."

"_Son of a bitch. First he volunteers us for this crap and now I'm pulling semi-squad leader duties at his behest. I hate my life sometimes…I really do._"

"Quit thinking to yourself Nara!" He snapped. Damn…was this guy a psychic or was he just tuned into me personally? "I know I called you a slacker in the past but you proved me somewhat wrong. This isn't a request by the way, this is an order. You're going to lead the squad with me whether you like it or not all right?"

I swallowed my pride and succumbed to it. "Yes sergeant."

"Good. Honestly quit yer bellyachin' anyway. You're with me this time. I got your back."

"_Kind words sergeant, but they're not working._" I turned to Temari who was nodding off to sleep. I couldn't help but feel concerned once more that her life might be in my hands and that was the last thing I wanted. That strong sense of foreboding traversed through my innards again but I dared not show it in front of Sarutobi. I had to be strong and as tiresome as it was I knew any other way wouldn't register with him. "Thanks sergeant."

"You can call me Asuma this one time Nara."

"Ok…Asuma." We both got a good laugh from it.

"Of course if anyone else calls me that because you said they could, your ass is mine." Again his threat wasn't as intimidating because of the jocular grin on his face. Inside I relished it. The man was essentially my mentor ever since I got attached to him and it felt great to get that extra step closer. The one regrettable thing is that with every step I got closer in my rapport with Sarutobi, it was one step closer to being burdened with more responsibility. My dad would've never put me in such positions until he knew I was fully ready…but alas this is war and shit really does happen.

"Angel Seven and Eight, this is Aegis One. We have reached the borderline and we are pulling back. Godspeed lads and make them pay dearly for the throne."

"Aegis One, copy that. We'll do the best we can. Out." The co-pilot radioed back. Looks like we were on our own now. Hopefully the Sound didn't catch wind of that transmission or just spot us in the sky in general.

"Steady now…we've got about another forty-five minutes or so before we reach our destination." The pilot alerted the lieutenant.

"Right. Very good then. Let's keep it low and quiet."

The plane coasted above the ground but it was still high enough to avoid the tallest of trees and the highest of hilltops. I took a gander at the other troops I'd be fighting with. They weren't such a bad bunch save for that arrogant corporal and the occasionally moody lieutenant. Hell we figured they were just like us except they sounded funny and their cuisine was horrendous. None of us should really bear any ill will towards them considering how we'll be fighting together for who knew how long. The thought that we were already in the Rain Nation doubtless sent shivers down our spines. How silly of me to buy into the superstitions of that land…but even with my cynical nature, I couldn't shake the feelings. Even the facts that Sarutobi was with me and Temari was by my side as well only faded them instead of eliminating them outright. Outside the window I couldn't see a thing, just darkness. I was a man of the shadows when I needed to be but when I had no control over my fate or when I was denied the liberty to use those very shadows to my benefit, only then was I truly troubled.

"It's best not to look outside Nara. Ya ain't gonna see shit anyway." Sarutobi so wisely recommended.

"Right…ok then. Hey um…Asuma?" It felt weird to call him by his first name but still I stuck with it.

"Yeah Nara?"

"All that troublesome talk everyone keeps saying about the Rain Nation…it's not true in some aspects is it?" I couldn't believe I just asked that.

He turned and chuckled. "Am I hearing this right? You, the cynical slacker Shikamaru Nara, are asking me if rumors of a place we both have never been to are somewhat true, like there's some sort of bogeyman associated with the place?"

He really knew how to hurt a man's pride. "Yeah I know…it's troublesome, but my curiosity is getting the better of me."

He chuckled again. "Never thought I'd see the day." Real smartass of you, sergeant. "Well, I've heard them too and I will say, when I was just a kid and my father was involved in the Great War, there was always hearsay. When I asked him, he told me bad things went down there on both our side and the side of the enemy. He told me of once lush forests reduced to wastelands. He told me of terrible trench warfare lasting for weeks or months where men and women died by large amounts from the machine gun and disease. He told me of the non-stop artillery and of the poor soldiers who got hit, laying in the muddy or snowy ground dying while calling to their comrades with their organs protruding or their limbs severed. He told me of the sights, such as one time after a fierce battle when he had to hold a small trench and in front of her he saw a Leaf comrade lying on the ground, a bullet through her heart being the end of her. Her head was tilted back, her face and hair caked with dirt and blood, but her eyes open as if she was staring directly at him, haunting his psyche. He had to hold his position for hours as the dead woman continued to stare. He couldn't get up from the trench to grab that woman or at least shut her eyes lest he be picked off. When he came back he told me her face still remains in his memory. He told me that story once and only once, and it was when I had to go to war. They were the things of nightmares Nara and history told that those things were more here than anywhere else. I know I'm in a war right now but I couldn't imagine something as dreadful as that. So are such things true? I say yes and no Nara. What's happening now won't be a repeat of the Great War, but the stories do have some truth even if they're stretched out. The Rain Nation, although rebuilt, still has the horrendous scars of those years ago. There's no ghosts or bogeymen there, but the painful reminder of a terrible war."

A lump the size of a melon formed in my throat. I wasn't even born during the Great War but I could only imagine the misery and gloom emanating from there.

"I know…it's tough to absorb. Let's just hope we don't run into a similar scenario which I'm sure we won't."

"Angel Eight, this is Seven. We're almost approaching the landing zone. I say it's about another twenty to thirty, over."

"Roger that Seven. We're right behind you."

Ten minutes passed and the radios were dead. It felt rather eerie to hear the silence but we all knew it was more tactically sound to be quiet and run no risk than be coordinating back and forth and possibly get intercepted. Most of the soldiers were up from their efforts to get at least a modicum of rest. It got a little bumpier as we guessed low clouds were causing the turbulence.

Choji yawned. "Anything go on Shikamaru?"

Shaking my head I replied, "Nope. Not a thing. We've been lucky so far. Judging by the total lack of panic I think most if not all the gliders have either already made it or haven't been found out yet."

"Well what really matters is if they can do their job." Temari decided to jump in the conversation.

"Ah…good to see you're up now Temari."

"And you look like you didn't get any winks. Quite a shocking discovery Shikamaru."

"Meh. I guess I can surprise people like that."

"We gettin' any closer sergeant?" Ino asked with surprising enthusiasm.

"Pilots said we're about twenty minutes from our destination. How they're gonna land I haven't the slightest but they seem to know what they're doing so far."

"Good…can't wait." She gripped her Garand rather tightly. She still had that quest for vengeance I could certainly see. Not good.

"Listen up lads!" The LT cleared her throat. "We're approaching the landing zone so get your weapons and your kits ready! While we're not being seen right now there's a good chance those damn Sound bastards might still hear us landing so we've got to set up our perimeter as quickly as possible. Take any and all equipment and intel with you in case we need to abandon the Horsa. We'll be landing kilometres away from the rocket base as to not directly alert them. Just remember troops, it's just like we rehearsed back at camp. I'm confident you all know your parts."

"Gettin' those chills again Asuma." It was also rare to see Mitarashi slightly concerned but such circumstances would make it understandable.

"Yeah no kiddin'. I'm pissed I won't be able to have a drag. Otherwise some fuckin' Sound sniper might spot me and off goes my head." Ha. How fatalistic of him to joke like that.

"You and your cigarettes Asuma…seriously. I hope she makes you quit that shit when you get back home."

"Fat chance Anko…fat friggin' chance."

"Hey sergeant," I dropped the first name now that everyone was up, "I always forgot to ask you. Who's that 'she' you keep talking about?"

"Shit…how careless of me!" He laughed.

"Seven, this is Eight…you see anything up ahead?"

"No I don't think so…"

Sarutobi opened his mouth again. "I forgot to tell you Nara, when I kept mentioning her I forgot to tell you who she was. She's actually my…"

Suddenly the plane was rocked as it someone chucked a boulder at it. "FUCK!" The pilot bellowed. A bright flash followed by a trail of fire illuminated the cabin. To our horror our right wing was now on fire.

"Shit! Shit! We've been hit! Seven, this is Eight! We've been hit!"

"Soundies must've of bloody spotted us!" The co-pilot screamed.

"Eight, this is Seven! Take evasive action now!" Small explosions lit up the sky as we must've passed over some flak cannons. To make matters worse the plane was pushing us in all directions.

"I'm bloody trying! Fuck!"

"Hold on Eight! For the love of God, hold on!"

"I can't hold 'er any more! Continue the mission Seven…get to the landing zone!"

"Eight! Keep it together Eight!"

"I can't anymore! Mayday! Mayday! We are going down!"

"Eight! Mother of God…EIGHT!" Seven's pilot continued to holler through.

"Seven, carry on with the mission I say again…carry on with the mission! If we survive, we'll rendezvous with you!"

"Oh shit…buckle the fuck up and hold on tight!" Sarutobi screamed through the panicked cries of the soldiers.

"Oh God…oh God…" Sugiyama started whimpering to herself again.

"Private get a hold of yourself and just hold on!"

Naruto squeezed onto his little talisman necklace. I had no idea what to do myself.

"Shikamaru!" Temari grabbed me tightly. I could feel the sudden panic in her combining with my own.

"Temari…we're gonna get through this. Just hold on. We'll survive! I know we will!" Rare that I be an optimist, but death is so troublesome so I'd rather hope I can spit in his face right now and live through what would be a very fucking hard landing.

"Bloody hell! She's not responding!"

"We gotta land this bird now!" The co-pilot yelled. "There! Try to land in that clearing over there!" I didn't know whether she was desperately fumbling with a map or she suddenly developed some sort of vision but I prayed that there was indeed a clearing or sorts.

"CHOJI!" Ino screamed out in panic.

"Ino! I'm here! Stay with me Ino…I've got you!" He clutched her as best as he could as we felt the plane start to tilt downwards. It was a miracle from the pilots that we weren't in a nosedive. If that was the case we were all as good as dead. This was bad…really bad.

Another explosion rocked the plane from behind us and if things just couldn't get any worse, a small chunk of the rear hull just got blown off. The suction from the air was strong but we were fortunate to not be as high as let's say a normal transport plane. When they stressed the harnesses, they weren't kidding. Debris from the plane got sucked out fasted than you could imagine but thank the heavens it wasn't any soldiers who were all fastened.

"Jesus! We're getting shelled!" One of the Water troopers cried out. "We're gonna die!"

"Keep it together! Just hold on tight because it will be a very hard landing!" One of the squad leaders replied in an effort to maintain some calm.

Meanwhile the pilots were trying their damnedest to hold the fucking plane together. It was almost no use. The Sound guns seemed to have faded but now we were one big bright beacon in the sky for all nearby Sound forces. Just my damn luck…and the damn pilots were conversing wildly as I could barely hear what they were saying.

"Losing altitude…systems are not responding! Damn it we have to land this thing now!"

"But sir…" the co-pilot tried to gather her thoughts. "We've gotta get a little farther!"

"A little farther and we'll be plucked right out of the bloody sky! I'm holding the girl together by a bloody thread!"

"Hinata…I'm not going to leave you…I'll survive this! I promised…" Naruto was desperate as if he hoped some higher power would pluck him from the sky and have pity on him for her sake.

The velocity of the plane was intense. My stomach was already in knots and Temari clutching tenaciously to my midsection didn't help matters much.

"Shikamaru…this can't be it."

"Just hold on Temari."

Another sudden spasm from the plane erupted, this time from the bottom.

"Damn it all! We just lost one of our wheels!"

"But…but how?"

"No idea but the bloody plane is falling apart! We're still dropping!"

So this was it huh? Was this really how I was supposed to go…in a flying, partially flaming coffin with my comrades and the one girl who I could consider being with? I mean after Hill #404, Takigakure, the Emerald Fields, and Kusa, now this would possibly be my undoing huh? Life is a son of a bitch that's for damn sure. How troublesome.

"If any of you are religious…now's a fucking good time to pray!" The co-pilot, for reasons beyond me, decided to announce.

"We're going down!"

We clutched our seats until our fingers bled and our knuckles whitened. We could hear the glider's hull scrape against the tips of the tallest trees as the drone of our descent screamed through the cabin. Soldiers were crying and I was willing to bet one or two already wet themselves. I nearly went deaf from the noise of the air suction and the cries of the panicked soldiers. Even Sarutobi had the look of utter dread on his face. I knew when I saw that…we were in some serious shit.

"EVERYBODY…HOLD ON! BRACE FOR IMPACT!"

The last thing I saw was the grass and the dirt mixed with shrubbery, dead leaves, and trees approaching us rapidly, at a rate that was too surreal for the human eye to process, like some nightmarish amusement park ride. I twitched, my arms wrapped themselves around Temari, and I tried my best to make my peace with the heavens.

"Temari!" And then just like that, everything went black.


	37. Chapter 37

Have you ever been at the beach, and put a conch shell up to your ear, and you'd hear the ocean, that low droning roar that would help put you to sleep? That same sound was playing for God knows how long. Darkness swarmed me. Was I dead? Did I not survive the crash? All that I could hear was that same white noise. Then…a heartbeat…was it mine? I had to know what was happening? I couldn't stand not knowing! I heard a voice…

"Nara…" it weakly came to me. "Nara? Nara you there?" As the voice repeated itself it became more familiar. It was him. "Nara, God damn it…wake up!"

"Uhhhnnnn…" To my relief, I wasn't dead. However that didn't stop my head from pounding or my sight looking like I had rubbed my eyes for an hour.

"Yeah quit yer bitchin' Nara…I'm gettin' you the fuck outta here." My whole body, trying to regain feeling, felt hoisted up as something kept hitting me in the back and I felt a hard surface hitting my gut with every up and down bob. After about fifteen seconds I then felt the cold, hard earth on my back.

"T-Ttttemariiiii…" I groaned. Despite my own condition I had no idea how she was. "Temari?" No answer. I felt like my throat was punched as I could barely get a word out, my cries sounding like whispers. "Temari!" Frustration flowed through my veins as I kept calling her name for a minute straight but getting no answer. I felt the heat from part of the plane that caught fire, that searing heat that made me cough. "Temari!" I cried out once more.

"Shikamaru!" Her voice rang out as clear as could be amidst the yelling and still-grinding metal. "Oh my God Shikamaru…are you all right?" I saw her face and my heart suddenly felt lighter. She was ok…thank the heavens she was ok.

"Guhhhh…" I heaved and panted in a rather strained effort to sit up. "The, the plane…"

"We crash landed in some open field thank God." Sergeant Mitarashi said aloud. "Plane's shot to shit though. Bird's cooked."

"What about the pilots?" I heard the Water LT ask everyone.

I turned my head and saw who I believed was the co-pilot. She spoke up with a somber tone. "Pilot's dead. Impact must've killed him."

"Well shit." Sarutobi groaned in sorrow as we all watched the fires spread around the plane.

"Sergeant…what about…"

"Yamanaka and Akimichi? They're ok along with that idiot friend of yours from 4th. Temari's brother seems to be all right as well."

"Oh good." I was relieved to know Naruto wasn't dead.

"Anko lost a soldier though…Corporal Higa I think his name was. Damn shame too."

"Sergeant!" The voice of Nakamura rang through the crackle of the fire. "Sarge…Asano…he's been hurt!" Little did I realize that our meek little private was screaming in pain. I turned my head to see him clutching his left shoulder.

"Oh God…sergeant…my arm…"

"Yamanaka what's wrong with him?" Sarutobi demanded as Ino scanned him and pressed on his shoulder. The kid yelped in pain as his arm dangled like a piece of string.

"It ain't broken sergeant, but it seems dislocated from the impact. I gotta get a sling on that as soon as possible."

"No time."

"Huh?"

"Get a stick Yamanaka." He commanded as she grabbed a small twig and gave it to him. "Ok now private, this is going to hurt quite a bit but it won't last long. You need to be still ok?" Asano nodded with tears in his eyes and the stick in his mouth. "Ok now bite down hard." Sarutobi lifted his arm and had Ino hold him in place. "Ok get ready on three. One…two…THREE!" With a twist and push he wailed out in pain. I didn't hold it against him since I probably would've done the same and I wasn't worried about him giving away our position, what with the flaming hulk of a plane lighting the place up and whatnot.

"Holy shit!" Ino blurted out in amazement. Sugiyama looked like she was ready to hurl and in about ten seconds she did just that fumbling through the crowd to get some space, her second time in one night doing it I might add. I was about to say the same but she took it away from me. I can certainly write down a man popping another man's arm back in place as a rarity that I've seen in my life. Some of the other soldiers looked worse for wear but the amount of broken bones and dislocations was minimal. Sadly instead of injuries we had a few deaths making us all the more crippled to carry out this mission.

The LT quickly approached the co-pilot. "Did we get any last transmission from the others before we landed pilot?"

"Nothing that we could make out clearly. All we heard was bits of communication but that's it. We have nothing except that we're a bit short of our destination."

"Well we'll have to rendezvous with them as quickly as possible. That plane lit up like a bloody shooting star which means every damned Sound patrol in this area saw it. If we lollygag here any longer we might as well dig our own graves."

"LT's got a point fellas." Sarutobi butted his way in. "We gotta go Splitsville or the Soundies are gonna round us up and cut us up real bad."

"Did we get all the stuff we needed from the place sergeant?" Nazuka inquired seeing now that the glider was pretty much completely immolated with the dead inside cremating and leaving little trace.

"We got what we could as far as weapons and ammo. We got maps and we got photos that we were able to rescue so we're not completely shit outta luck."

Sergeant Mitarashi ran over to Sarutobi and muttered something I couldn't quite get so I decided to turn and survey the scene for a few minutes. Everyone else was regrouping. From what I could see almost everybody managed to survive the crash. A couple of the Water soldiers along with our own were being bandaged up by Ino, Private Kana who was 4th squad's medic, and the corpsmen from the Water Airborne. Our supplies were already limited so they were working as quickly and efficiently as possible and God bless 'em for their diligence. I also noticed that smartass Corporal Okubo managed to survive as well. Good, because the more rifles and bodies that lived through that the less chance the Soundies will be shootin' at me. The two sergeants got up and signaled us.

"Uzumaki!"

"Yes sergeant?" Struggling to hoist himself up he got right next to me.

"Higa's dead. You've been promoted to corporal. Now get the rest of the troops ready. We're getting the hell outta here."

He jerked back a bit totally not expecting it at all. "Y-yes sergeant."

Choji tapped him on the shoulder. "Congrats huh Naruto?"

"Yeah…thanks…" Poor kid. A promotion was usually something to really smile about but not when it was inherited so abruptly and tragically. Nobody wanted to be the successor in rank from a death. Lee didn't want to become captain through Captain Hatake's death. Not even Naruto could smile from this. "Hey Shikamaru…"

"Yeah?"

He proudly showed the small pouch where his ring for Hinata was. It had survived the crash and he was as happy as a child on his birthday was. "Still got it."

"Good for you Naruto." Choji smiled. At least something good was going for Blondie.

"Thanks." He took a deep breath, rubbed the necklace that Hinata returned to him and went on rallying the rest of 4th.

"C'mon lads! We have to get a move on or the Sound will trap us! We'll have time to mourn the dead later. This way, we'll head up to the forest northwest of here."

"You heard the lady…let's leg it!" Mitarashi blared out. Pretty soon we were all in a dead sprint, at least those that could capably do so. Asano and some of the others limped along the way forcing some of us like Choji, Naruto, and I to stop and cover their advance. It was by pure luck we hadn't run into a single Sound patrol even if the fires of the plane still brightened the area up as far as the eye could see. If we were even luckier, the Sound would investigate the crash, see the few bodies, and then half-ass their search parties. Perhaps they would think of it as a reconnaissance plane or just those few bodies as the actual cargo, not two squads worth. Of course knowing my penchant for getting into troublesome matters, the attacks on the rocket bases were going to occur quite close to each other along the timeline and that would cause a massive alarm amongst the bases themselves. It was by sheer foolishness they clustered their installations into one pocketed area but you'd be a fool to think they also weren't armed to the teeth. This was gonna make that labor camp operation look like a tourist jaunt, and it figures that I'm in the middle of it.

One of the Water soldiers tripped and struggled to get back up, but Choji pulled the man up effortlessly and got him back to running. He just nodded respectfully and tried to maintain some sort of cohesion with his fellow Water troopers. We had just reached a small crest where we were able to conceal ourselves from everything save for some pesky recon plane which luckily wasn't anywhere near us.

"How close do you think they are to this site?" Ino whispered to me.

"How should I know? I'm not the intel guy."

"Your sarcasm isn't really fitting right now Shikamaru." Temari snapped at me. "Gimme a sec Ino, I'll try and get a look through my scope."

A hand pushed her rifle down. It was Sarutobi's. "No need to Temari. It seems that they've already brought out an initial welcome wagon…and a rather nasty one too."

"Oh shit…" Toyama whispered out as we saw nearly twenty ground troopers supported by what looked like a couple halftracks, one or two with those damned screaming rockets attached to the sides. Headlights were flashing everywhere looking for any and all signs of movement.

"Bloody move it troopers!" The LT with an utmost urgency hauled the closest trooper next to her up and shoved the boy right in front of him as the rest of us followed suit. Those damn Soundies were just checking it out but sooner or later they were gonna fan out. My lungs felt like they were freezing as the cold air sent crystalline particles of ice into them every gasp that I made. I felt a soft hand grasp mine and a rhythm of softer footsteps match mine rather harmoniously. It was Temari. Just then despite my best efforts to be subtle with it I picked up in energy and speed. We dashed for about another fifth of a mile before stopping for air. Had this been back in Kusa or Konoha all this running would've been easier to deal with, but this bullshit weather in the Rain Nation was stifling. With gratitude we took some of the cold weather gear the Water forces had in bulk. Sooner or later we were all gonna need it and whaddaya know? No time like the present as we fitted our gloves and other protective wear. The cloth felt great against my already cold hands and while it wasn't significant the slight increase in temperature made us a little more willing to press on.

"Ok!" The LT once more muttered as softly as she could. "Let's get on with it!"

"C'mon Kankuro let's move it!" I could hear Temari barking at her heavier brother who was struggling with his stove pipe.

"Trying…trying as fast…as I can…Temari. Fuck!"

"Here let me help." A Water man larger than Kankuro came to his aid and grabbed his ammunition. "No worries mate, I can still run."

Kankuro nodded to him. "Thanks."

We had gotten ourselves well into the forest in tight formation, sacrificing safe intervals for complete accountability. So far we hadn't caught sight of any search lights but we couldn't really stop to check anyway. I stayed close to Temari figuring two sets of scopes were better than one. I felt the cold chill of the wind hitting the sweat on my clothing. We had to find shelter or some form of warmth fast or we were going to really be up the creek with illness. My heart was pounding, more so than it had been in a while. It was odd. I was more scared than I was when I had to take command of that ersatz squad back in Kusagakure. In the back of my mind I wished I had stayed there but thanks to Sarutobi the whole squad was deep in this pile of fun.

"See anything up ahead there corporal?" The LT asked me bluntly. I tried looking through my scope but could barely make out the shapes save for the trees.

"Sorry ma'am. I've got nothing."

"Damnation! We've gotta get away from these blokes right quick! My kingdom for some shelter or a cave or something!"

The co-pilot stepped up. "We should check the map. Before we crashed I thought I saw a town nearby. I haven't the foggiest whether it's abandoned or not but it's something."

"Ya think the Soundies holed up in it?" Mitarashi asked aloud which was a great question. The last thing I wanted was to waltz into some Rain town and be welcomed by a platoon of Soundies.

"Not sure, but I'd rather take our chances. Besides it'll give us a decent place to bed down and establish some bloody security."

The two of them along with Sarutobi who I guess became the representative of Konoha in this fun little ditty analyzed the map some more. After a hot thirty seconds and some fiddling around with a compass they finally split. Sarutobi came up to Temari and I.

"Listen you two we're heading north to northeast. It's a slight deviation from our intended target but if we can get to this old town we have a better chance of concealing ourselves rather than just running around. You two are staying on point and we need you about fifty to a hundred paces past us. If you run into any patrols or anything at all…do not engage. You come right back to us and tell us everything you see. If they start firing, for the love of God find cover. We'll do what we can to help you. You two ok to do this?"

"You got it Sergeant Sarutobi." Temari said.

"Hey Temari…I told Nara a little while ago and I'll tell ya now. You can call me Asuma ok?"

"All right then…Asuma." A smile came from her lips as she must've felt the same growing rapport with him that I have had all this time in the war.

He smiled back before turning serious again. "Well what the fuck are you two waiting for? Get goin'!"

"Right!"

We sped off as quickly as we could dodging low branches and trying our damnedest not to stumble on tree roots and all sorts of fallen debris. The rest of them were well behind us and only the faint sounds of their equipment rattling gave us the comfort of knowing we went too far. The sounds of the plane burning and the Soundies barking orders were long gone leaving only the dead silence of the night as our ambiance. Low and calm winds breezed through from time to time but nothing to completely drown out our footsteps and the noise of the others. While it was tactically discouraged, I felt some compulsory need to break the silence.

"Can't see shit out here." I lamented, cursing the lack of moonlight.

"Well it works both ways Shikamaru. They can't see shit either."

"I know that. Just bothersome how we're lookin' for some town we don't even know is occupied. My thought is that it'd be the first place the damn Soundies would look."

"I'll admit I thought that too, but you should know Shikamaru, orders are orders."

"Yeah."

"Troublesome."

I smirked even if she couldn't see it. Rarely does someone use my trademark phrase. Kinda funny to listen to when someone else says it.

"C'mon let's go. According to the map we're still a little ways from it."

A faint whirring was heard in the distance. "Shhhh! Temari…you hear that?"

"Yeah and I wish I hadn't!"

"Get down now!" I worriedly commanded and with all the effort I could muster I tactically yelled to the rest of them. "Down guys! NOW!" The quick shuffling and silhouettes falling down gave me slight comfort that they at least heard me.

"Recon plane?"

"Most likely? Just try to cover yourself a little bit and stay still." I had hoped it was a recon plane. If it was one of their fighter-bombers and it spotted us we were more fucked than if it was just a recon.

Furiously we both flung leaves and whatever else we could find on top of us hoping it would work. The whirring got louder and louder and when we felt it got close enough we laid as flat as possible. My heart pounded which was most likely the collective feeling of the entire task force. The droning ebbed and flowed flying directly above us and away and then coming back again. It did this for a good few minutes until the propeller noises became muffled in the distance.

"You think it's gone?" Temari faintly whispered.

"Sounds like it. Just stay down for a little longer."

I could feel the damp ground soaking my face and clothes in patched areas where the dead leaves didn't cover. It sucked. Everything about this place sucked so far and I could imagine it was only gonna get worse. Maybe the rumors and stories that my father and his friends shared during the Great War held some truth. Someone like Naruto wouldn't buy into that, but I guess we'd have to find out.

"Just a little longer." I tried to block out any and all noise just to pick up a voice I didn't recognize or the sounds of engines, something that didn't belong to me, Temari, or our group. A minute passed…nothing. "Temari, let's get up."

"Ok."

We slowly rose and I tried waving or making some signal to our comrades behind us. A couple moments of chatter meant they were back on foot. Temari and I wasted no time bounding from spot to spot. On occasion we'd stop and scan the areas making sure we weren't being followed or we weren't going to run smack dab into a Sound patrol. I slowly meandered back to within five feet of her as we just got through some thick plants, the reeds tangling themselves on our boots forcing us to yank our feet to get them off.

"Hey Shikamaru…"

"Yeah?"

"You have any idea as to what might've happened to that other plane?"

"Well…if all goes according to plan they landed safely and are like us trying to evade the Sound but unlike us not completely up the creek. I'm positive they're in a better situation than we are right now, but because our glider went down hard…"

"The Soundies might've put an alarm out?"

"That's the problem. We have no idea if they've been found, if they evaded the patrols, if the other task forces have even started their operations…it's all so…"

"Troublesome."

"You like using my word don't you?" I turned to look her in the eyes, my own eyes finally adjusting to the lack of illumination.

"It grows on me…but I'm no whiner like you." She pecked me on the lips which surprised me before she was about ten paces ahead. I shuffled as quietly as can be to catch up. "Jesus…can't figure out shit. It's like we're walking in a never-ending forest."

"And you said I'm the whiner…" I mused with delicious sarcasm. "Look…this town or whatever is up ahead. If we're lucky we'll find a couple homes that the Sound ignored and hole up there until we move out again. As the higher-ups said…better than being out in the open ready for the Sound to find and pick us all off."

"True."

"But anyway…from what I can see on the map…and that's very little by the way, we've still got a few kilometers before we hit anything. I haven't strayed too far off the original direction so don't you go and deviate."

"You givin' me orders Shikamaru?" She sounded rather confrontational in her tone…figured as much.

"Nah. I'm just tellin' you to be careful, so don't get so antsy in the pantsy when it I'm tryin' to tell ya something."

"Feh…you just watch yourself, whiner."

"_Ugh. Troublesome woman…never listens to anyone but herself._"

We kept plowing through the woods for fifteen minutes straight. The pace was maddening considering how we had to keep a good speed while maintaining as much tactical silence as possible. Such neurosis would've killed a lesser person but luckily the gang and I had a little more fortitude than that. I felt worried about Asano with his shoulder considering how his treatment of the injury was a tad unorthodox. The poor kid was already tearing up from the pain when Sarutobi popped his bone back into place, something I will still rank high up in the badass scale. We got to a point with several thick trees in our pathway. I held my fist up to get Temari to stop.

"What's the deal Shikamaru?"

"Let's just pause for a second. I need to get back to the sergeant. Think you can hold this spot for a minute?"

"You seriously doubtin' me right now?"

I smiled. "That's what I thought. I'll be right back."

I shuffled back to Sarutobi, well actually first running into Nakamura who had his weapon raised at me out of fear.

"Whoa…put it down Nakamura. It's me Nara."

"Oh shit…sorry."

"That's ok man…with this kind of night it's hard to tell. Where's the sarge?" He pointed directly behind him where I saw that recognizable figure and the small but tough frame of Mitarashi next to him. Their chatter was muffled and I couldn't make out much of it.

"Nara? Nara is that you?"

"Yeah it's me sergeant."

"Whaddaya got for us Nara?" My eyes squinted even with his hand covering the Bakelite on the map. I was more afraid of some patrol catching the light and one of us getting a round to the head.

"Nothin' so far. Judging by the terrain we're around here." I put my finger down on a coordinate slightly off course from the down to which the Water LT frowned. "We'll try and correct our azimuth but it's friggin' tough to see out there. Temari and I are doin' the best we can."

"I know that Nara. Just fix your course and continue on. Remember what I told you should anything happen."

"Yes sergeant." When I turned away and scurried back I felt somewhat annoyed that my eyes would once again have to readjust to the darkness. I nearly ran right into a branch had the chills from my body not warned me.

Temari turned to see me. "What's the deal?"

"We gotta change our path a little to the right. We're going off course and had we gone any more we'd miss the town completely. Anything come up?"

"Not a damn thing."

"Good...some luck for a change. All right, let's go."

We adjusted our direction and spent the next ten minutes doing the exact same thing we did before. This time…it started to get creepy. The clicking of a nocturnal insect or the low sounds of an owl or something only exacerbated it. A shriek was heard in the distance.

"Jesus!" Temari exclaimed in shock.

"Shhhhhh!" I put a hand on Temari's arm and waited a second. It must've been an animal of sorts because it didn't sound human. "Fuckin' woods…playing with our heads."

"Now's the appropriate time to complain Shikamaru."

"Yeah no kiddin'…it's like something out of a horror flick. I don't like this at all."

"Let's just keep movin'. We'll eventually hit that little patch of civilization."

"One can hope."

Another animal noise startled us and the flora because unusually thick. Temari nearly blurted some obscenity out loud from a skittering critter nearby but thank God maintained some discipline. Seriously…it was starting to feel like we were in one of those suspenseful horror movies I used to see with Choji and Naruto when we were teenagers, except this time it really did feel creepy. I wondered how the Soundies felt about this place and if they considered it as cursed as veterans like my dad did. With all these rocket bases built here, they either didn't buy the stories or that murderous prick Orochimaru just didn't care in his lust for conquest even if his men and women did.

"Fuckin' trees…it's near impossible to get through all of them." She whined. I didn't blame her.

"Just do the best you can. Believe me I'm close to sayin' 'fuck it' myself but we can't. "

"Well no duh. Hey…what's that up ahead?"

"What?" I used my scope and saw a large wooden object up ahead. But…but we weren't even close to the town. "Yeah…I see it too."

"Looks like a couple log cabins. Certainly hasn't felt like a few clicks though. What gives?"

"No idea, but it's something we could hole up in that wouldn't be nearly as conspicuous as this town on the map. Temari, tell Asuma and the LT that we've found these two cabins and from the looks of it," I hesitated on any initial judgment until I got closer, "they look like they're in acceptable shape. I'll keep an eye out for any unwanted troubles. You have no issue with that right?"

"Nope…I'll be back shortly."

As she hurried back to the group I adjusted my scope to get a good bead on the cabins. From the looks of it they've been abandoned for quite some time. Around them was a small pathway that also looked unused. A small well jutted from the ground near the outhouse and the fence was wooden links with some broken. However, there was something amiss here, something I couldn't put my finger on. The whole area emanated a disturbing aura of…of death. My apprehensiveness subsided only slightly with the arrival of Sarutobi and the gang.

"Well, well, looks like we might've found our rest area." The LT mused with an air of relief. "We need to make sure this place is secure at first."

"Good idea." Sarutobi nodded. "All right, my guys will cover the pathway and the right of the house."

"Good…and my troopers will cover the left flank and rear."

"Nara, you'll be with me, Asano, Yamanaka, and Nazuka. Akimichi, stay with Temari, Nakamura, Toyama, and Sugiyama to get the houses secured. 4th squad has our backs. Let's go."

The next five minutes was us slowly creeping our way towards the cabins. Not hearing any Soundies or rifle cracks gave us the good impression we gave them the slip.

"Kinda creepy don't ya think?" Nazuka asked aloud. Murmurs of slight agreement were all he got, and essentially needed. "Got a funny feelin' sarge."

"I know guys, just cinch up your sacks and deal. I'd be more worried about this terrain than ghosts."

I saw Ino trying to adjust her hair, the crash and subsequent stress doing a number on it. "Now's not the time for beauty adjustments Ino." She just mumbled something about me being an asshole which got a laugh out of the others barring Sarutobi. And wouldn't ya know it? Guilt then crept into me like the chilly air. "Damn it Ino…I'm sorry."

Retying her hair back into the ponytail she nodded at me. "I know you were just bein' you Shikamaru." She shuffled to the right of me as we flanked a small slope. "God…this place…not good for my health."

"It ain't good for anyone's Ino. This place is a definite drag."

We strayed a little bit off the beaten path, myself guided more by Ino than my own doing. I grew curious.

"Hey Shikamaru…" She whispered to me.

"Yeah what's up?" I got the feeling it was another confessional moment sans Choji.

"I've just been thinkin'…ya know with all this and its crap."

"I know Ino, I'm sorry. It's a real shitstorm isn't it?"

"I just…I'm just scared. There's only been one other time where I've been truly terrified and that was when all three of us were drafted. Now…I just don't know. My parents…they're gone and I'm, I'm scared Shikamaru. I don't know what to do should I even survive this."

I said nothing for about ten seconds. What could I say?

"You may be a cynical prick…"

"Oh thanks."

"But you're a good friend, not just to Choji and Naruto but to me as well." To be honest I was slightly taken aback. "I said before that this is the second time I'm truly terrified. My parents are dead and I'm all alone now. I have neither siblings nor grandparents. I have no one back in what was my home…I only have you guys now. I have the squad. I guess…"

"We're your family now huh?"

"Yeah…I mean…you guys for the past year, year and a half, were always my second family. You and Choji, you were my friends since childhood."

"Ino…" My lips were fixed in an uneasy pose. "I know that. You're a good person Ino, and the best damn medic that Sarutobi's ever had. He said that himself."

"Really?"

"Of course. I may give you shit…but it's in jest. And Choji…well..."

"I know Shikamaru. Choji's a giant with a heart of gold."

"He wants to be there for you Ino."

"You didn't tell him did you?" She sounded like she still wanted it a top secret.

I tried my best to maintain an innocent posture knowing full well I was guilty as charged. "No. Don't worry about it. I mean he's still not sure but you've shown him some moments of vulnerability. He's getting that impression."

"You told him didn't you?" Now she was getting accusatory.

"No! No I did not."

"Well then please keep it quiet again…just for a little longer."

"Why?"

"I just…I just want to be fully ready for him to hear how I feel."

"Do you love him?"

"Well I mean…"

"Do you love him Ino? Do you love Choji? The notes and what you said at Kusa wasn't any bullshit?" I got a little stern the next time which made me feel a tad guilty but it was my best friend involved. I didn't want to pressure Ino but she was beating around the bush.

She stopped for a second and sighed. "Yes…yes I do Shikamaru. Took me years to finally see that but yes I do and I know that he'll take care of me. I just…I don't want him hurt should anything happen to me. I see the absolute worry that Naruto puts himself through because of Hinata and I don't think that Choji should be subject to the same treatment."

"Ino it's all right. He cares about you a lot."

She chuckled but with a sad tone. "He has since we were kids."

"Then you should tell him, before anything does happen God forbid."

"I know…I want to but I don't. I care for him I really do…but it's just…"

"Just what?"

"It's just that I'm…oh shit!" She yelped as she had taken a step back and lost her footing, tumbling down the slope like a boulder.

"Ino!" Sarutobi rushed to my aid as I sidestepped down while she luckily avoided some the trees. She had landed flat into some sort of muddy ditch. It was way too dark to make out her form but when we finally got down we saw her.

"Yamanaka? You all right?"

She just lay there for a second before muffling something along the lines of "I'm fine." We looked around making sure we didn't startle anyone or anything that shouldn't have been.

"Ohhhhhh…" she groaned in pain.

"It's ok Yamanaka. Nazuka get her outta there."

"Sure sergeant…but where is she?" He was right behind us but couldn't tell where Ino was.

"Are you serious private? Can you not see her…body….in all…of…this…" His words were strained.

"Oh my God…" I muttered.

"What? What's the big deal?" Ino struggled to pull herself up lunging an arm forward to grab onto what I thought was a log of some sorts. It rolled over and a look of sheer terror swept her as it wasn't a log she grabbed at all. She looked side to side at the bumps of ground around her and her mouth widened even more, because they weren't bumps of ground. She was about to scream her lungs out before Sarutobi jumped right in and cupped her mouth. She screamed all right but she was muffled, a tiny little chirp coming out and most likely alerting everyone else of our party.

"Shhhhh…I know…I know. Don't scream Yamanaka. The enemy going to hear us if you scream. Be strong private, please." He said in the most calm and collected voice ever. Meanwhile streaks of tears were running down her face as she still let out shrieks of terror staring at whatever she saw.

"Ino? Ino!" Choji bolted down the hill with his machine gun right over his shoulder. "Ino, oh my God, are you ok?" He rushed into the muddy ground to clear the way and with a sick sucking noise pulled out something that filled him with the same terror as he gasped, dropping it back to the mud.

When our eyes got themselves out of their collective trance, we saw what I really wished I could've wiped from my mind forever.

Corpses…lots of them…some decomposing and some looking rather new. That's all I could say at the moment. It was surreal, like I was in a nightmare, a really fucking bad nightmare but with no way of waking up out of it. They looked mangled and mouths open as if they were screaming for mercy before they were killed. Ino still kept wailing with Sarutobi softening her cries. I figured the guilt of our conversation about Choji, the stress of her parents and the plane crash, and now this, all three were exacerbating her grief.

"What happened?" Temari came rushing down, and as soon as she caught up to me, stopped dead in her tracks with the same look Choji and I had. "Oh no…"

"Jesus Christ…" It seemed that Mitarashi and her guys had also joined the party.

"No…not this again…" Temari muttered out somberly.

I turned to her. "Not what again?"

"It's a bloody mass grave." The co-pilot mused. She must've strayed from the group when she heard Ino. "Must've shot 'em like ducks in a row."

"Those monsters did this back home. I had to see this with my own eyes. After our first rebellion they came back and rounded up anyone guilty or anyone in general." The hate in Temari's tone increased. "Men, women, children…made them dig ditches and then shot them without batting an eye. Bastards…"

Mitarashi stepped in and looked around and from her huffing saw something that outright infuriated her. When we looked closer we saw why. "Children…fucking children in here! Those pricks killed a bunch of women and kids!"

"Keep it down Anko." Asuma hissed as he looked down to the sobbing Ino, his mitt of a hand wet with her tears and saliva. "Yamanaka, it's ok. I'm gonna let go now and get you outta here. Don't scream whatever you do ok?" She just nodded as he slowly let her go. There were no screams out of her mouth but instead sobbing as Choji lifted her out of the mud. I walked to see what she saw and what I did made her reaction completely justifiable. The dead man's face was half rotted with his eyes hollow and mouth agape, half the teeth missing and the skin shriveled.

"Good Lord…" I muttered. "She didn't deserve that kind of scare." Of all the people in my squad it was her getting the most torture right now. She didn't deserve this.

Some of the other soldiers outside of murmuring covered their mouths. The stench of the decay finally caught up with us as a gentle breeze wafted it our way. In a panic we covered our mouths but the gagging was already induced.

"For God's sake guys…get up the hill. Nazuka take Akimichi's MG. Akimichi, get Yamanaka up that hill. Poor girl's scared to shit." Sarutobi was right. Ino could barely move since Choji helped her back up. The Water LT approached us, Sarutobi and Mitarashi specifically.

"What about the bodies?" Nakamura asked with childlike naivete. "Can't just leave 'em here like this."

He responded coldly. "We have no choice private. We can't waste time and energy burying them. Besides, they might be diseased."

"Oh." The kid slunk his head down. Burying them would've been the right thing to do but Sarutobi was right. The mission was too crucial to waste on a secondary moral mission. Meanwhile Ino was still semi-catatonic after her sobbing. Choji whispered something into her ear to try and get her relaxed but it didn't seem to be working. The rest of us turned and walked away one by one, some taking longer than others with their eyes fixed on such an atrocity. How could rational human beings have done this? What could possibly possess them to be so evil as to wholesale slaughter innocent civilians?

The Water LT flanked by a couple troopers came up to us, Sarutobi and Mitarashi specifically. "The area is secured and we can hunker down here for some rest. We're going to need a security plan in case the Sound start patrolling around here. From the lack of marks on the ground it seems they don't frequent this area. Good for us." She got no response. "What's the matter? It's like you've all witnessed some sort of massacre."

The co-pilot stepped up. "That's because we did. Bloody mass execution down that slope. Sound bastards just left the bodies…men…women…children."

"Were they military at all?"

"Some of them upon inspection ma'am." Mitarashi responded somberly. "The rest were probably civilians killed in some sort of terror campaign."

"Unbelievable…"

The private next to the LT growled. "I hope we can get some payback on these Sound cunts."

"We'll get that opportunity soon enough private. Let's just get inside and regroup. I think we've been through enough for one night."

"This time I agree with ya ma'am." Mitarashi replied. "Fucked up war this is…"

The cabins were dusty and did a number on our sinuses but they were some shelter. We were lucky enough to be able to squeeze in with all of our kits. Some of us had to share room and for some people that wasn't an issue. Choji stayed up with Ino as she remained in her state of shock. He stroked her hair gently and tried his damnedest to snap her out. The look on his face was filled with desperation and futility. I thought to myself, just what was Ino going to say? Was she not looking to be with him after all? Was she just afraid of commitment or a future family? Did she think she was going to die soon? So far the past week and a half for her had been an absolute nightmare. I simply stopped thinking of what I could do because in my mind there really wasn't anything I could do. All I really know is that as her friend I had to help her through all this, but it'd be Choji who'd really have to step up to the plate. I took one look at him and he looked right back. Him looking at her and then off to the side was proof positive of how he too suffered with Ino, the girl he truly cared for. Sarutobi just stood outside the window keeping watch. I swear that man could function off of two or three hours of sleep. Then again, things like that were signs of why he was the sergeant. I felt pity for him as well as Ino. He, like Ino, had to deal with such trauma sharing the loss of family and like Choji he had to be the stronger man to support her. I opened my lips but cut myself short knowing anything I said would be not worth saying at all.

"Hey…" A soft voice breathed down my neck, tickling the hair on it.

"What's up?"

"Got any room there?"

I huffed. "Yeah I guess so."

"Ah quit yer bitchin' and let me in." Even without further approval Temari shoved herself underneath my blanket and got up close and personal. I turned to see her but couldn't smile no matter how hard I tried.

She seemed to sympathize as she ran her hair lightly against the top of my forehead. "I know why you're upset. I'm upset too. That poor girl…and she's your friend too."

"Feel sorry more for Choji than me. This is fucked up stuff huh?"

"Yeah…it is."

I wanted to try and say something meaningful to her but I couldn't. Ino's parents, the plane crash, and now this…it nearly sapped me dry. "I'm tired. I'm gonna get some sleep before we have to get up again and then I'd be all tired and pissy."

"That'd be troublesome."

That forced a light snicker out of me. How that woman does it I'll never know. "Indeed it would. Good night Temari."

She reached forward and kissed me. "Rest well."

Even with her warmth I couldn't really relax. The Soundies were hunting us, our plane and plans went down hard, and we were all huddled together in an abandoned cabin next to…next to that terror. I closed my eyes but that image of the corpse Ino saw stayed with me along with the mental pictures of those poor people being executed. It was like one bad thing after another and all of us were bearing the brunt. Is this place really what our mothers and fathers said it was? Is this place really the stuff of nightmares? I tried not to think about it any more as our objective was just over the horizon but a sense of foreboding crept into me once more. As I closed my eyes and my breathing slowed, one thought kept running through my head like a broken record, one that I think every one of us shared.

"_I hate this place…I hate it so much._"


	38. Chapter 38

Ninety minutes. I swear that was about as much rest I could get before Sarutobi so rudely awakened me to keep watch. Normally he'd lambast me for taking my time to get up but no. Obviously the looming presence of Soundies certainly kept anyone from making a scene. However I wish one of us would. When I got up Ino was still in her catatonic state, her eyes still open as if she had seen a specter of sorts. I wondered if she even slept a wink. Choji was passed out but from the looks of it had tried for a while with his arm still clutching Ino. I tried not to think too much about her condition even if she was my friend. I had bigger things to worry about, mainly my own survival and the ever-present threat of a Sound patrol just stumbling upon us.

"You're on for another hour Nara, then we leave."

"Still no word from the other plane sergeant?"

"Nah…any transmission the damn Soundies would get a lock on. We'd be proper fucked."

"I see…"

"Yamanaka's still out of it huh?"

"Yeah sergeant, poor girl's spooked to shit. Choji did what he could but it wasn't enough. She annoys the crap outta me sarge, but man…"

"Life doesn't give out fairness in equal amounts Nara. Just feel lucky you weren't in that shitstorm. I'm going to try and get a little rest. Keep watch with Temari."

"Ok."

It was like staring into an eternal blackness, the ambience of the forest adding little to no comfort for me. A snapping twig, an animal call, the rustling of leaves, all of which were doing enough to get my hairs to stand on end. To top that all off, the rather annoying concern I had for my currently shocked comrade gnawed in the back of my mind little by little, like a small mouse nibbling away inside a house wall. My scope was nigh worthless and I'd have to rely on my already high-alert instincts to not wind up like the corpses down the hill. Then my subconscious got threw me off. What if it were me, or Choji, or Naruto? What if Hinata was down there instead of Ino? How greatly would that affect Naruto and our mission if those two were like that?

I turned to see Naruto clutching his rifle while lying face down in the thin-layered mat the Water guys provided us, his little buddy Konohamaru close by. The both of them were as calm as babies after having warm milk. I found it rather startling since we had just survived a plane crash and were currently in hiding. Maybe the thoughts of returning to Hinata were giving him some inner peace? I certainly hoped we all returned in one peace and not in a box.

"The enemy's out there crybaby." A poke to the back woke me up from that momentary trance. "Quit lookin' in yer noggin."

"Worry about yourself Temari and help me keep a lookout."

"Fine, fine…" She too seemed a little calmer than usual. She was typically the more excitable one of us yet she was either masking it or just didn't feel it at all. I wondered…was it the prospect of finding this "traitor" she and Kankuro seem so hell bent on that kept her motivated?

Sarutobi always warned me about letting vendettas get in the way of the mission. I typically found it a bother to try and hold a grudge over a general enemy even with the talking heads back in Konoha screaming for blood and vengeance. However, my wounds were merely superficial. What happened to those two and what happened to Ino, well…those were gaping chest holes that still bled. The Sound killed their families with little compunction. They had every right to be thirsting for justice, but as Sarutobi said, if they let this get in the way of their mission, they could get distracted and get killed. Worse, if they weren't focused they could get me or one of my other buddies killed. I knew better than to try to preach that to Temari. I could only hope that he and her brother maintained some form of mental discipline to not be led astray. Better yet, I hoped more that Ino would not rush into the enemy and get perforated like a piece of cheese, instead doing what she was trained to do, to be a medic.

"Knock off whatever you're doing corporal and keep your eyes outside!" Sergeant Mitarashi hissed at me from across the room. She and Sarutobi took turns watching over all of us and with him falling asleep I felt powerless to counter her since he was the only one outside of the captain and first sergeant who could. "God damn, how Asuma deals with you sometimes…"

I paid little heed to her incoherent babble and instead just followed orders. Faint rumblings in the distance gave us the impression that something big was going down, but was it another attack the generals planned that we didn't know about or was it one of our task forces? Pray to the heavens that it wasn't Inari and the rest of our group. I couldn't stop focusing on the big picture when I needed to really concentrate on what was directly in front of me.

"See anything at all Temari?"

"Nope…just some spooky fog and the trees in front of me." No shit Temari. That's all there is in this God-forsaken area…that and those corpses.

"Those damn corpses…" I squeaked out quietly. I didn't mean to though.

She sighed. "I know…they're in my head too. Brings back memories I wished were long dead, memories I hope will fade when this is all over."

"Suna…"

"I've been away from my home for over two and a half years now. I can't even remember certain parts of it that I knew like the back of my hand. But I'll remember one thing, and that's the very rape of my city the Sound committed. Everything I've told you before and everything now is in more painstaking detail than I'd like to remember."

"And these…"

"They were something I immediately regretted getting a look at."

"I'm sorry."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Not your fault."

Almost an hour passed and still nothing. Damn were we lucky. I was sure as sure there'd be a Sound patrol or something flying around her. Five more minutes later my suspicions were sadly confirmed with another low roar in the distance.

"Shit…"

"Halftracks?" Temari wondered.

Mitarashi silenced everyone on guard. "No…sounds way too faint and whirring to be halftracks. Sounds more like…a recon plane?"

We all paused a little bit to get a bead on what that sound was and sadly it became eerily familiar to when we made our dynamic entry into this accursed land.

"Shit it is a recon plane! Everyone get down!" Mitarashi hurriedly flattened herself wherever there was space.

"Stay away from the windows!" The Water LT said aloud from another section of the small cabin.

Temari and I huddled against the bottom of the window we were looking through. We could feel the blinding light of the plane hover over the entire landscape as it made a pass over the cottages. It was by sheer luck we could fit everyone in otherwise we'd be screwed. A minute later it made another pass with the light beaming right inside the room.

"Stay perfectly still…" Temari whispered. No need to tell me twice toots.

Again the droning faded away only to come right back with the light shining right on top of us. What that was to prove I don't know, but a few seconds later I thought of the terrible purpose of it if it wasn't for aerial photography. We could only hope it didn't manage to spot any of us that were awake and even worse those that were asleep like Naruto. We all feared another pass but surprisingly that was it. The droning seemed to fade away.

"It's gone?" Toyama whispered to Temari and me.

"Sounds like it."

"Shit…this is bad."

"Well no shit private." Mitarashi again butted herself in. "Soundies must've gotten the hint that it wasn't just those dead in the planes. Regardless of whether that saw us or not, we're gonna have to scoot it the fuck outta here. Asuma?"

He grumbled something being rudely awakened and whatnot. What he actually said I didn't care to decipher.

"C'mon Asuma we gotta cheese it. Fuckin' recon plane flew over again."

"Damn it…"

"It's a rare moment for me but you are correct sergeant. The Sound will most likely send a patrol or two our way. Anything larger and our goose is cooked. Anyone up, get the troopers up and reform your kits. We don't have much time."

Everyone scurried about in a massive gagglefuck panicking to get their kits rolled up and equipment back on.

"Ino we gotta move." Choji nudged her and practically no response. "Ino I'm serious the Sound's gonna be here!"

"Private! Get up." Asuma hoisted Ino up and dusted her off. "You gotta listen to me private. I know what happened. I know it's fucked up, but if you don't get out of your funk we're going to be the ones fucked up all right? C'mon Yamanaka…it's Sergeant Sarutobi talkin'. I know how you feel but we're still on a mission."

She didn't say anything but somehow still acknowledged him. Certainly not as quick as the others, she nonetheless hurried to get moving.

"Scan the area troopers! We gotta make sure we're not bailing out right into a trap." A Water sergeant commanded above the chatter. Anyone ready, Temari and myself included, nervously peered through the windows hoping not only to not see any lights but not catch a bullet to the face. From what the both of us saw the coast looked clear, even if the damn coast was barely visible fifty feet out.

The other soldiers whispered across the rooms. "Looks good on this side."

"All clear here."

"Clear."

"Good. Let's bloody leg it." The LT was the first one out, rather admirable considering should the Sound have laid a trap she'd be the first one to die. Alas, no shooting. She lives for another day. Asuma was next out and making sure all of his squad including myself and Temari were out and ready.

"Let's go 3rd…can't waste all night hustling out." Some of the soldiers rather than line up like ducks in a row bailed out through the windows. Not as tactical but just as effective I'm sure. Choji had the double duty of lugging his weapon and trying to get Ino out, certainly no easy task given her mental state. I stuck close to Temari as we finally got outside.

In front of us Naruto and Konohamaru were posting security waiting for Sergeant Mitarashi and the rest to catch up. In a matter of mere seconds and much to my surprise the LT had full accountability and we were off. It wasn't a dead sprint otherwise we'd be deader from exhaustion. Nah it was more like a steady jog, but still troublesome nonetheless. I should've been worried about the cold sweat that'd get at least one of us sick as a dog sooner or later, but catching a bullet from the Sound was a lot more frightening.

"Let's go people! We have to head northwest." The LT tried to use her command voice but failed. We didn't care. We were too busy trying to evade the Sound to argue.

I could feel Sarutobi's breath right behind me. "Keep it close third. Akimichi, keep your eye on Yamanaka. Nakamura, give him a hand with the ammo."

"Right sergeant."

Muffling the noise was a luxury we couldn't enjoy despite our best efforts. We were way too concerned with getting out of the area as soon as possible and praying we didn't run right into a patrol or even worse, an ambush. Soldiers were tripping on tree roots and whatever else there was on the ground. You mix the dead of night with half-awake men and women running like hell and you're bound for trouble. Another five minutes of this and it was as if we all gasped for air in unison. Fallen trees, stumps, rocks, whatever we could find we jumped behind, swinging our weapons in all directions as if we were surrounded. What am I saying? We are surrounded.

"Nara!" I could feel his leathery mitt on my shoulder. "Take this map here. Go scout ahead with Temari and a couple of the Water soldiers. It's just like when we bailed from the plane. Got it?"

"Ok sergeant…c'mon Temari let's move." Getting up was such a pain in the ass. The bruises from the hard landing already made it uncomfortable, but all this movement…it hurt. Luckily I wasn't alone. Temari, albeit just as caring about her pride as me, also showed the same grimaces of pain when she moved alongside me. My kind of woman, eh?

It didn't take us long to catch up to the other two Water soldiers, a couple of privates we never really got the time to wax eloquent with. Didn't matter though...

"Keep moving troopers!" The lead Water private muttered out with her rather delicate voice. "Keep that vision on a swivel."

We moved in bounds and by buddy team. The two Water fellas kept to themselves and really only bothered to communicate by hand signal. I didn't complain seeing as how Temari and I were doing the exact same thing. As I said before, now was not the time to wax eloquent.

"Anything yet Temari?"

"You serious with that question Shikamaru?"

"No…no I wasn't." Seriously…I wasn't.

Some rustling on the ground was heard in the distance. In a panic the two privates spread out and laid as flat as they could. Temari and I found some cover behind some trees.

I tapped Temari on the shoulder to signal. "_I'm going to look. Cover me._"

"_Ok._"

Closing my eyes for a brief second to let them adjust to the darkness even more, I lifted my head up ever so slowly and brought my Springfield to bear. Nothing. The rustling continued and I jerked the rifle to the right, practically above Temari's head. Closer and closer the sound got to us. My heart quickened and my finger slid gently towards the trigger. I was just waiting for some Sound soldier to come skulking about, waiting to get the drop on us. Not this time asshole…not this time. I still couldn't see.

"What?" Temari faintly whispered.

"Shhhhh…" The rustling got more frantic. It was as if something was charging at us. I looked through the scope again as the figure started to form itself. This was the deciding moment. Did I dare pull the trigger? Damn this blinding night! It's getting closer…and then…it emerged.

I damn near shot the thing, but to my surprise it was no Soundie at all. It was a deer, a lone buck just travelling through the dark woods. Thank God I didn't shoot it. It'd damn reveal all of our positions.

"It's a bloody deer?"

"Yeah apparently…" I commented to the Water private. "_C'mon big guy…get outta here It's dangerous.. Wouldn't want ya to get hurt now right?_" I thought to myself as the thing ran off, leaving us to collect our breaths after that near scare.

Temari sighed in relief. "Oh man for a second there I thought…" Before she could finish a chunk of wood exploded right near her face followed by one that kicked up a bunch of leaves and dirt. It was by a miracle that she wasn't pasted right then and there.

"Down!" I screamed impulsively and fired a potshot back where I thought the round came from. I was answered by a burst fire that scraped alongside the trees to the left of me.

"Ran right into the bastards!" The Water private to my right whined. Her other companion was too busy scrambling for cover. Another staccato burst of bullets smacked the ground near her. Had she not rolled to the right she'd have likely been dead.

"We gotta get back to the others to help us! Yuria, get your arse back to the leftenant and tell them we're in it thick! We'll try an' hold 'em off!"

"Think that's such a good idea private?" I challenged his logic on that last part on this but I knew the other option of full retreat might not have done us any good either.

"Whatever works Shikamaru…get moving!" Temari screamed to the private who sped off like a bat out of hell. She turned back to fire a round but judging by the lack of a yell or crumple to the ground, she hit precisely zilch. "Damn it all! Cover me while I reload."

She didn't have to tell me twice. I made out a faint figure and hurriedly pumped out a round. The shadow yelped a bit and fell to the ground. Unfortunately with that kill the fire got heavier. These trees weren't doing much for cover to start, but if we didn't get help immediately we'd be lying flat just like the logs we were behind. When I ran out of ammo Temari was there to cover me. The other soldier sprayed away with his Sten, certainly being the greater effort in containing them.

A loud thump hit the ground near us, something all too familiar. "GRENADE!" I screamed pulling Temari down with me. A few seconds later the entire ground shook and my hearing was near shot. The fire intensified, denying Temari and I any opportunity to get a shot off. I couldn't hear our Water comrade's submachine gun's firing and when I got my sight back my heart sank to see the lad twitching as a few bullets flew right into him. If we could get our hands on his Sten we could last maybe a little longer, but the fire was too harassing.

"Where's that fucking help?!?" My paramour screamed at the top of her lungs huddled behind another piece of cover. Loud footsteps accompanied the rifle fire which only meant one thing, the enemy got a bead on us and were closing in. The first soldier ran straight towards us but Temari struck him down without batting an eyelid. A bullet screamed across her shoulder and tore the fabric off. Judging by the lack of rolling around and cursing, I assumed she was lucky enough not to be hit.

A grenade went off in front of us but also by sheer luck we were spared its fury. Two Sound soldiers rushed in, one of them probably equipped with a submachine gun sprayed a volley above us. His zeal proved to be his downfall as I got up and plugged him straight in the chest. Temari dealt with his friend as she too fell to the ground. The more we thought we held them at bay the more we realized they were getting closer.

"We gotta bail Temari! We gotta get back to Sarutobi before we're…" Before I could finish a brutal-looking Sound soldier jumped atop the log, a sharpened entrenching tool in hand. Crazy fucker wanted to hack us to death…

"Oh shit…" Temari muttered as the men licked his lips and was about to pounce. A few seconds later as I closed my eyes expecting a gruesome end I felt hot spurts of blood on my skin…but it wasn't mine. I quickly opened to see the man, with utter shock on his face, keel over and die. Another burst of gunfire flew over my head towards the Soundies, and it came from a weapon I recognized all too well.

"Never a fuckin' dull moment with you eh Nara?" That gruff son of a bitch screamed at me as he and Mitarashi pumped rounds into our barely invisible enemy. Behind him was the entire task force including that Water girl who ran to get them all.

"Got real sporty sergeant!" I screamed back as more rounds whizzed by. My comrades were smart enough not to just run right into the fracas…barring Sarutobi who just slid himself in between Temari and I. "Patrol must've heard us…that or they were waiting."

"Well now's not the time to investigate. We gotta push through or more are gonna be on their way. I'll help you keep them focused while 4th squad flanks!"

"We don't even know where they are!"

He frowned. "They're in front of us…is that good enough of an answer?" I had to hand it to him. It wasn't the answer I was looking for but he shut me up while making a point. To my right, the distinctive rapid-fire report of Naruto's B.A.R. echoed through the woods. I'm sure he just emptied an entire magazine with little regard for precision as was typically his style. This time I wouldn't criticize because I was basically doing the same thing. This damnable night made it nigh impossible to tell who you saw if they weren't twenty-five to fifty feet from you.

The flashes of muzzles provided the light I needed to get a glimpse of an MG team setting up.

"Temari! We got a gun crew setting up…wax 'em! Wait for the flashes!"

She nodded and while Sarutobi and the rest of the squad provided us some badly needed cover fire, we waiting until we could see the faces and body frames of our adversaries. It was difficult as all hell but we wouldn't be the best if we couldn't do it. The crew got some rounds off towards Ino's direction, the bullets spattering the dirt around her but she didn't seem to care. Choji nearly had a heart attack right then and there and tackled her behind cover. To our fortune she went down unscathed and we had just that moment to fire away at the gun crew, silencing them both before they could fire again.

"Nice shooting guys. Cover the rest of us while we advance!" After reloading his magazine, Sarutobi sprung up and fired a couple more bullets towards the hidden enemy. "Advance third!" The heavy thuds of boots shook the ground around us as even the Water troopers advanced under weakening enemy fire. After a minute there seemed to be no one left shooting at us.

"Everyone all right?" Huddling together the LT tried to stifle her shouting but since the cat was already out of the bag few gave a shit.

"We lost Trooper Tazawa upon initial contact." The same woman who ran for help spoke up sullenly.

"Damn…any other casualties."

"Got a lightly wounded trooper but he's still able…just some scratches."

"Patch him up quickly and let's bloody leg it. Gather whatever you can from the dead. From what I can tell we'll be needing it."

Sarutobi turned to Temari and I. "You heard the LT. Scavenge for some ammo and maybe an extra weapon. I know I'm grabbing one."

We had no qualms even if I felt slightly dirty looting the battlefield like a vulture on a carcass. I set my sights on a nice-looking MP40 while Temari grabbed some semi-automatic weapon…something that was obviously a response to our Garand.

"C'mon Ino…let's get moving." Again she pulled on the dead weight for poor Choji. "Ino…please…" I turned and although I couldn't see her face I could feel the aura of emptiness or something far worse. Choji didn't want to be rough with her but she only exacerbated matters.

She mumbled something out that none of us could make out. I would've asked her in more detail but we were too fixated on getting the hell out of there. The dead Water trooper was left behind much to our comrades' dismay but not without his supplies. As grim as it was to say, the dead were quite valuable with their leftovers to help the rest of the unit. The added weight was surprisingly not much of a burden and actually multiplying our firepower with spare weapons was exactly what we needed.

"What's the read on the compass?"

Concealing himself as much as possible, the soldier put his flashlight over it and got a quick read. "North northwest ma'am."

"Well at least we're in the generally right direction. Damn night just won't go away…"

Sarutobi stepped forward. "Same thing as before Nara. You, Temari, and two others scout ahead."

"I'll go sarge." Naruto stepped forward ambitiously. "Private Konohamaru will come with me." Sarutobi wasn't too thrilled to hear that since that little skirmish one in four of the scouting party was killed. He just huffed and refused to argue it.

"They need a little firepower up front Asuma." Anko stepped in supporting Naruto. "Besides, Uzumaki's too stupid or stubborn to die and with your corporal leading at least you've got a stable head."

"Good point. Ok private get up front."

"Let's go Konohamaru."

"Right behind ya boss."

I winced a little bit, a wee apprehensive having someone as tactful as an elephant up front with us. I'd have to keep him and the protégé on a tight leash. Temari I rarely if ever worried about but these two raised hairs and to boot they were close friends of mine.

"Ok Naruto, I'll leave it at this, keep quiet, keep low, and for God's sake keep your eyes peeled."

"Jeez what's got your panties in a bunch?"

"Well last time this happened one of our guys got pasted. God forbid that happens to you, me, Temari, or the boy. Sarutobi would have our heads should something happen to him."

He gulped. "That's motivation enough for me…" As strange as it sounded, Naruto didn't fear the enemy. No…in fact he feared only a select few, the captain, Sergeant Mitarashi, and of course Sarutobi.

After his little comment we were dead silent for the rest of the time. We were all a little surprised there wasn't as much commotion since that clash about fifteen or so minutes ago. Perhaps it was an isolated patrol…or did we give them the slip all too quickly? A low rumbling emerged from the left.

"You all hear that?" Temari whispered.

"Yeah I do."

"I think that's…oh damn. Keep low!" Temari huddled everyone under a small ditch. I didn't know why until I saw the lights. Shit, mounted infantry. Upon closer inspection I saw tire tracks and a bare stretch of road…figures we hit an intersection. I was sure that Temari and her Sand comrades were used to all this sneaking about at night and dodging patrols.

"What is it?" Konohamaru asked.

"Sound trucks. Most likely carrying loads of soldiers. Just be very quiet and don't move a muscle." She put some foliage on herself and we followed. The engines got louder and our hearts pumped faster.

"_Please don't stop here, please don't stop here, please don't stop here…_" The thought ran through my head like a broken record. If they found us they'd have us dead to rights. Sure enough, the trucks started slowing down. "_SHIT!_"

"Not a fuckin' muscle…" Temari muttered taking advantage of the trucks to speak. Spotlights glared through the trees above us. We could hear the enemy conversing and ordering.

"Scan the area troops! The damn Leafers are around here somewhere!" That must've been a sergeant or someone higher up.

"Sergeant! Should we dismount? There was a skirmish before with one of 1st Platoon's squad. They're all dead."

"_Please say no…_"

"As much as I'd like to strike back at those snaky assholes, not right now corporal. Our job here is to patrol the roads. Figured the Leafers and their Water lapdogs would be dumb enough to not traverse through these woods and stick to the roads. We'll make a pass up ahead and then turn around. Keep your eyes peeled everyone. They're around here somewhere. Driver, move forward."

"Yes sergeant!" The trucks dimmed their spotlights and moved on. My sudden urge to wet myself just faded and without disaster.

"Shit that was close, believe it…"

"Nice one using that line in oh I don't know…the most inappropriate time."

"Shut up ya cavemen." Temari butted herself in. "Let's get moving before they make another pass which I could assume would be in between five to thirty minutes."

"Kind of a large window Temari."

"Fuck if I know how long the road is."

"Are we supposed to be quiet corporal?" Konohamaru meekly said reminding us to stay tactful. Add one point to the sergeant's nephew I guess.

It was the same as before, heads on a swivel, feet hitting the ground as speedily but also as quiet as humanly possible, the noises of the wind and animals keeping our hearts and minds on full alert. The small thought of Ino crept into my mind of how she first did nothing when that MG fired upon her and then whatever she said afterwards. I didn't have the time to ask Choji about it but then again I wondered if he even heard. Her case concerned me. It wasn't like Hinata who was just becoming dangerous to prove herself to Naruto but learn that she never had to. I knew that with Naruto, Hinata could better take care of herself. No…this was something far worse. Hinata's family wasn't killed by a rocket nor did she have to fall face first into a muddy ditch of corpses. Hinata also had a man she could be with for comfort and love. Temari lost nearly everything save for her brother Kankuro and me, but even upon meeting her for the first time I knew she was made of the harder stuff to endure such tragedies. Ino in her hesitation and muddled thought process hadn't reached that point which made it all the scarier. I mean, she was the innocent albeit superficial prom queen of all of us, and now that world was falling apart she didn't make an effort to not show it. The look that I've seen on her face I've seen before. When a person just stops caring even at the prospect of dying, that's the true sign of danger. When this was all said and done provided she survives the ordeal we, and I emphasize Choji, need to snap her out of this. I could only wish Sarutobi had some sort of plan to bring the old Ino back. So far the man hasn't failed me and even with Ino I believe in his ability.

I paused. "_Focus on where the enemy is Shikamaru…_"

"Anything up ahead boss?" Konohamaru nervously inquired. Naruto put a finger to his lips to shut the boy up. Good boy Naruto. Looks like you can be taught.

We traversed through the woods for another ten minutes, afraid to look at a compass and relying on our instinctual judgment to convince ourselves we were still heading in the right direction. I had lost track of time and just how far we've been travelling though I was sure that LT had the scoop on where we were. Konohamaru went back and reported the situation and when he returned we sighed in relief that they weren't spotted by the trucks and made it safely across the road.

From the corner of my eye I saw Naruto gently stroking the small ring sack again as if it became a nervous habit, but that wouldn't have been the Naruto I knew. The same kid I saw charge an assault tank with a mere satchel charge was the same who stood before me. I think maybe for the first time in his life he finally had someone else to look out for as his "father" Iruka did for him. The only problem was that she was quite a distance away and I knew that was going to have some effect on him Jeez, the feeling of that was troublesome and I hated it to the core. It disrupts the soldier to be ready for the mission and in times like these, the mission is the top priority. That's why I admired Sarutobi. Even with his "lady back home" that he mentioned from time to time, it seemed that he never wore his feelings on his sleeve and stone-faced himself for what mattered most, the mission.

"Listen…" Temari said quietly. Stopping dead in our tracks I could feel the hairs in my ears tingle with the low rumble of engines again. "They're coming back."

"Everyone get down." I ordered and they followed. The vegetation was a little thicker which helped us and the people behind us. "I'm gonna get back to Sarutobi. Don't move until I say so. Temari, you're in charge until I get back."

Naruto protested. "She's not even a rank…"

"Doesn't matter. She's in control because she knows what she's doing."

I couldn't quite make it out but it looked like a small smile from her lips. "Thanks, Shikamaru."

"Tch…whatever." I replied in my typical fashion as I sped towards Sarutobi. It took be a few minutes but I was finally able to make out their shapes.

"Nara! What's goin' on?"

"Well you see the trucks I gather, but sergeant…I have no idea where we're going right now and if we're even near the rocket base."

The ruffling of leaves caught our attention as a figure approached us. "I can help with that lads." The soft voice revealed the LT. Carefully she pulled out the map and used us to conceal the light. "We're about ten kilometers or so southeast of the base. Before our plan went to hell we were supposed to land northwest of it. Hopefully the other group made it through and we'd all consolidate on this point here. Turn your bearing…" she adjusted her compass while talking to me, "there. A little more northward corporal."

We felt the shine of the lights in the distance approach us but we were confident that they would do what they did before and pass.

"Do you think the others made it ma'am?" Sarutobi asked.

"Not sure…then again I'm not sure about much, but as much as it's unlike me to say this, I'm glad you're helping to lead this sergeant. I was wrong about you Leaf blokes. You're all right as all…"

"Shhhh…" I muttered. The lights that were moving stopped and turned off.

"Oh shit…they're gettin' off!"

"Bloody hell…move it, everyone!"

Sarutobi turned to me. "Nara get back up there and warn the others! Adjust your direction and double the pace."

I didn't bother with a reply as I sped to Temari as soon as possible. Sure enough there she was waiting for me.

"Shikamaru what's the…"

"No time to wait. Soundies are getting off the trucks and patrolling."

"Christ! We gotta get outta here."

"No shit Naruto…change course towards that way." I pointed to the right of our original direction and without haste Temari took off followed by Naruto and Konohamaru. Pine tree limbs and wind battered our faces as we raced to avoid the Sound soldiers creeping up behind us. It was a miracle they hadn't seen us but the farther away from us they were the better.

"Oh God…my lungs…" The boy Konohamaru whined as he desperately struggled to keep up with Naruto.

"Keep moving…squirt." Naruto said in between panting. "You wanna hang…with me…you gotta stay…with me."

"Right boss…" With renewed motivation he sped up to him.

We had reached a small clearing after about ninety minutes or so of some stop and go fast-paced movement. Lord knew how many kilometers we had made through all that. I felt like my lungs were about to burst but I wasn't alone. Periodic stops for security were the saving graces for the lot of us. For that whole time we had managed to shake off the Soundies coming at us and we hadn't heard a peep. So far, so good…right?

Naruto bent down to catch his breath. "Sweet Jesus…my legs…"

"So…the mighty Naruto…gets tired too huh?" I snidely retorted.

"I might be…I might be a lot of man…but I'm no superhuman."

Temari scoffed at our little banter. "You men and…your testosterone."

Loud shuffling erupted right behind us and in a panic we drew our weapons but luckily didn't fire. It was Sarutobi and the rest of the group.

"Shit…gotta…cut down on the cigs."

"I've been trying to tell you that sergeant."

"Shut up Nara."

"Right…that's enough chatter now. Get a perimeter going. Let's see here…" she pulled out the map again as we had found a some oddly places large stones and thick vegetation dispersed to cover behind. My original party got behind a concentration of rocks along the side of a ridge. It had been so dark that I failed to notice that the reason why there were so many stones was because we were near a small cliff. Lord knows what might've happened if I hadn't concentrated on where I was going. "It seems we're getting closer, but the rendezvous point isn't for another kilometer or so.

"So whaddaya think ma'am?" Mitarashi inquired.

"Well while we're maintaining security we'll have to figure that out sergeant."

"Ya think it's secure here?"

"Not sure…but it seems we broke off from the Sound and we might be in the clear. Besides, we should have some time to regroup before we move…" A sudden whizzing sound erupted and the sound of impact against clothing and flesh followed. One of the troopers next to the LT was struck square in the chest and flew backwards about a foot or two.

"Shit!"

"Cover! Get to cover!" Sarutobi screamed as he and the LT dove towards the nearest spot of rock. Another trooper went down from a stream of submachine gun fire and plopped right in the center of our perimeter. "Nara where's that coming from?!?"

"At the one o'clock! Naruto get some rounds down there! Four-round burst!" He wasn't in my squad but he sure as well was going to listen to me like it or not.

He surprisingly complied. "Right!" Round after round he pumped it into the shadows. A scream indicated he hit someone which put a smile on his face. "Fuckers comin' at us like sneak thieves! Konohama, help me out!"

"You got it boss!" In zealous fashion he let loose his entire clip from his Garand at the muzzle flashes hoping he'd hit something. Another yell for a medic brought a wide smile on his face, but the scream of pain from one of our own wiped it back off.

Bullets pinged off the stone I was hiding behind. I caught a faint muzzle flash and fired in that general direction. I heard no cry so I cursed out loud. Temari tried to lock onto another flash but she too missed.

"Naruto! Get your gun in our direction! Lay down some fire!"

"You got it Shika! C'mon short stuff let's help 'em out!" The two of them poured fire over our heads, allowing us to track on rifleman getting a bead on Choji. I denied him the satisfaction of killing my best friend with utter glee.

"Medic! We need a medic!"

"Ino you gotta go help her!" Choji yelled at her but she gave no reply. "Ino please!" She just curled up with her rifle clutched.

"Yamanaka! Get your ass moving right now!" Sarutobi screamed at the top of his lungs but to no avail.

Soldiers then rushed their position. Choji fell back along with Nazuka and Asano but Ino still stayed behind the rock. Most of the assaulters were cut down by Sarutobi and the LT but a few still managed to break through and sow panic.

"They're breaking through!"

"Shit! We're getting pummeled!"

"Ino! Ino help us out!" The enemy were more fixated on us than the easy prize of Ino…she just sat there motionless. I nearly feared she was dead.

"YAMANAKA!"

Choji was taken down by a rifle butt to the shoulder to which the enemy then pounced on him. He fought the first man off with a right hook and a kick to the midsection, Nazuka finishing off the downed man. However Choji was left without support when more enemy fire came pouring down on my squad. Asano was thrown off his feet and grappling with a Soundie. Sugiyama, Toyama, and Nakamura were huddling behind cover continuously being whittled away by enemy fire. The second Soundie knocked Choji down again and started choking him with his rifle. I couldn't get a shot off with all the bullets flying and the potential to hit my best friend was too great. I was powerless as I could hear the Soundie's taunts.

"Die you worthless Leafer! Die like the dog you are…"

"Gurkkk…In…Ino…" Choji's hand reached out for her, the poor girl shaking terribly.

"Ino!" I screamed being pinned by enemy fire. "Help us!"

"See how easy it is for me to kill you so tragically Leafer!"

"Hkkkkk…Ino…ggakkk…help…"

"She's too afraid like you should be. No one will help you now! Die!" I looked towards the rock to see no one there anymore. Then I heard a terrible scream, the scream of a woman who had just snapped. Ino ran towards the man, her Garand clutched like a bat.

"Gnahhhhh! No more…NO MORE!" The enemy barely had any time to respond as she swung it at his face with all her might. A terrible sound came out, the hard impact of steel and wood against flesh and bone, and the man was sent flying off of Choji. She turned it around and pumped two rounds into the man's chest. "Die! All of you!" The soldier was clearly dead but she wasn't convinced as she bashed his face into pulp with the butt stock. A few more Soundies came rushing into her view screaming with battle lust.

"YOU WILL ALL PAY!" She killed the first soldier with a few well aimed shots. "You killed my parents, you savages! They did nothing to you!!!" The next Soundie was a well-built woman who tried to shoot Ino point blank but with alarming quickness she evaded it before the shot was fired. The woman's yell was cut short by a hard blow to the stomach with Ino's rifle. "You destroyed my life!" The woman pulled out a pistol and the round scraped Ino's arm. Before another round could go off Ino yelled in rage and batted her arm away, the pistol being launched out. She then pounded the woman unmercifully with a flurry of blows quite similar to the beating that Naruto gave Neji when he attacked Hinata. The Soundie pulled out a knife and stabbed Ino's leg. She roared in pain.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" A loud crack rang out as Ino grabbed the woman's head and snapped her neck clean. Holy shit, it was like Hinata back in Hill 404 all over again. It was as if she paid no attention whatsoever to the bullets flying around her as she pulled the knife out.

"INO!" Choji came flying in and tackled a man trying to bayonet the raging girl as she took the same knife and plunged it into the dead woman's stomach. She seemed to not notice one bit as he wrestled with the assailant.

"Shikamaru! God damn it focus on your own people!" Temari slapped me upside the head as I could no longer concentrate on Ino's sudden psychosis. "We're getting shot up to bits!"

Already it seemed that we lost a couple more soldiers. First the Water trooper next to the LT, then another one, and to my right, Private Imaishi of 4th squad was on the ground. That was already three more that we lost bringing our numbers down to around thirty or so.

I brought my stolen MP40 to bear and fired some bursts at our closest enemies. I could only hit one of them as the other dove to cover. However three more emerged to support the lone gunman.

"More of them coming around our three o'clock boss!" Konohamaru screamed out.

"We gotta hold them off! We're not going to lose like this!" Naruto yelled back. "You keep firing until I say you're done!"

Our perimeter bunched up several meters to keep the Soundies from penetrating further. I was too busy in my own little world fighting them off and protecting Temari to even be concentrating on the rest. The random screams of fury I heard gave me the impression Ino was still alive. I could also hear Sarutobi and the others, but I knew it wouldn't be long until one of them stopped talking.

"Temari! Concentrate your fire on that shock trooper!" She switched to her semi-automatic rifle and fired away. The trooper hid behind a large tree and sprayed about ten bullets down our direction. I felt one of them strike my hair, the heated air flowing through my follicles. "Shit that was close!"

"Then keep your head down more!"

"Then I couldn't shoot the enemy numbskull!"

"You idiot Shikamaru…"

"Just friggin' shoot the bastards and stop this nonsense!"

Someone was sprinting towards us but judging by how he wasn't shooting at us, we assumed it was friendly. Temari grinned upon recognition. "Kankuro!"

"Yeah sis?"

"Oh thank God you're still alive…"

"Wouldn't wanna disappoint you and the others…"

"What others?"

"Never mind that. Real fuckin' shitstorm huh? Reminds me of that time in the borderline."

"We can reminisce later. We need some firepower and that Naruto guy can only do so much."

"Glad to help." He pulled out a couple stick grenades he looted and chucked them as far as humanly possible. The loud roars disrupted their movement and if we were lucky killed half of our attackers.

"Thanks bro."

"Anytime sis. Now let's fucking push these guys back!"

"Right on!" Naruto cheered as he looked to Konohamaru. "C'mon shortstuff. No reprieve for these pricks!"

Another group started to rush us and without hesitation we fired back.

"We're bloody surrounded!" I heard the LT scream in despair.

Mitarashi was seen right next to her. "Then we fight through them ma'am…we fuckin' drill right through them!"

"Look out!" Another Water trooper yelled as the horrifying visage of several Sound troops poured through again, firing away and killing another Water Airborne.

"Pull back! Pull back!"

"It's no use…we're cornered!" The co-pilot panicked firing her pistol at the enemy wildly, hitting no one.

"God damn it! Then if we go down…we kill as many as possible! Let them come!"

The Soundies came pouring right at us intent to finish us off in one fell swoop. However a blaze of fire emerged from our flank followed by an explosion that killed one Soundie and launched another in the air, the impact no doubt killing her.

"Protect the leftenant men!" That voice…was that…? "C'mon lads…we've got the Sound feckers where we want 'em!"

"1st squad, flank them left! 2nd…push through the center, use grenades on those gunners! Sugo! Set up the Bren and lay down some fire!"

"On it sergeant!"

I heard the LT cheer. "Bloody hell…it's the other task force! The damned Sound isn't going to take us to the choir invisible yet! Get them out of here! We still have a mission…for king and country troopers!"

"Whatever lady…" I muttered. Above me atop one some higher ground I could hear the chugging of their light machine guns. "Temari! Two o'clock!"

"I'm on it!" Her rifle threw leaden death once more upon two soldiers advancing on us, but not before they hit another one of the Water troopers. After a few minutes our morale shot up but we were still in the thick of it.

"Keep the fire on them troopers! We'll push them back to whatever hell they came from!" The LT yelled out as her pistol went ablaze with round after round, one downing a soldier who just bayoneted Private Hiyama. Our fires had practically doubled as the enemy was screaming to fall back. It seemed that their assault was more of impulse than strategy, very unlike the Sound which led me to believe they were less Akatsuki and more regulars. No…the Akatsuki would be waiting by the rocket base.

"They're pulling back! Thank God!" Konohamaru shouted in ecstasy.

I sighed a breath of relief as the smoke and gunpowder faded. "And we live another day…how troublesome."

But Kankuro felt otherwise. "True…but sadly at the cost of more soldiers. From the looks of it about six or seven more. Damn it all."

"You blokes couldn't have come at a better time."

"We wouldn't leave you hanging high and dry ma'am, not after they shot you down like that."

"Regroup troopers!" The LT waved in the middle of the battle area. "Reconsolidate ammo and get a count of your soldiers!"

"Sergeant," Naruto approached Mitarashi, "we lost Hiyama and Imaishi."

"Fuck…we're not even a legit squad anymore."

"Anko. Lee's not here. Just become part of mine. You'll still keep control of your men and women."

She hesitated at first being the prideful woman she was, but then consented. "Ok Asuma…thanks. You've always been a better person at this gig than me. Listen up 4th squad…we're gonna merge into 3rd and form our own group, but that doesn't mean you don't listen to me anymore. It just means that Sergeant Sarutobi will be heading things up for us Leaf folk. Got it?"

Everyone nodded or murmured in approval.

"Sergeant?" I approached him with apprehension. "All these people…"

"Don't worry about me Nara. Anko's got a good head on her shoulders and besides, I've got you for backup. I wouldn't piss your pants if I were you."

"Ok then…hey sergeant, have you seen Ino?"

"Oh shit you're right. Everyone sound off." Down the line everyone revealed themselves, Temari, Choji, Toyama, Sugiyama, Asano, Nazuka, and Nakamura, but when he called for Ino, no response. "Yamanaka? Damn it Yamanaka where are you?"

"Listen!" Despite the commotion caused by the other soldiers, a faint but familiar sound was heard in the distance. It sounded like grunts and cursing but from the lips of someone I wouldn't expect.

"Ino!" Choji and I rushed over to the voice and we saw her pacing up and down the bodies of the dead, looking for any signs of life. "Ino there you are…sergeant's looking for you."

She turned to us and simply turned back to her duties. A lone Sound soldier was still moving, badly wounded but alive. "No quarter for you…" Ino whispered within earshot of us rather demonically. She grabbed a nearby knife and approached him.

"Ino stop it." Choji pleaded. "Leave him."

She turned to him again and started laughing. She grabbed the man and turned him over, not even batting an eye as she shoved the knife right into the man's chest and twisting the blade. Again and again she stabbed him to seal the deal.

"Die! Die! You will suffer for what you did to my family!" She found another straggler and proceeded to plunge the blade into the girl's throat, the poor wounded soldier gurgling something while struggling to grab Ino's face. "No…you die now." She started laughing again. "Not so mighty now huh?"

"INO! For God's sake look at what you've become!"

"Ino stop it please I beg you!" He rushed over to grab the knife but Ino swung the blade towards him. "Ino…are you insane?!?"

"Look at me Choji. Look at what your 'girl' has become! Do you like it?" She grinned with blood caked all over her face and uniform. "Cold-blooded…I like it. I don't have a family anymore because they took it away from me…so why not? They slaughtered those people like cattle down there. Am I not entitled to exact vengeance?" She menacingly pointed the knife at the both of us.

"Don't do this Ino." I drew my rifle out and aimed it at her. "Put the knife down. That's an order private."

"Oh…mighty Shikamaru dishing out orders? Pathetic."

"I'll say again that's a fucking order Ino. Knife down…now!"

"Ino listen to him." He crept up slowly to try and get that knife again as she pointed it towards me. With her guard distracted he made his move. He yelled in pain as Ino managed to slash him in the forearm.

"Choji!"

"I'm ok Shikamaru…just a scratch." He said as he held the struggling Ino down. "Ino calm down please. I beg you calm down."

"I'll kill you!"

"No you won't. I'm your friend Ino and you wouldn't harm me like that. I know what happened to you Ino. Please…don't let it consume you."

"You have no idea! They all have to die! All of them!" The blood on her uniform was smearing itself on Choji's hands, making it harder to restrain her.

"No that's not like you! Please Ino…stop this."

"NO! Let me go now!"

"Ino…please…for me."

"Why Choji? Why should I go back to the weak girl I was…for you?"

"Ino…it's because I love you."

She paused for a second. "Choji…"

"Please come back to me Ino. I know the Sound did terrible things and that they hurt you more than they could even hurt me, but I don't want to lose you to this madness. Even if the mission or the squad doesn't matter to you anymore…I still want to matter to you because I love you."

"Choji…" And in that moment the rage seemed to have faded. I could see the emergence of tears from her eyes as her voice got weaker and her squirming stopped. "I…I…"

"It's ok Ino. I'm here."

She looked at her hand, slick with someone else's blood and still gripping the knife. "Oh…oh God…what have I…what have I done?"

"Shhh…it's ok Ino. You're with me now."

"What have I done Choji?!?" The sobbing started immediately afterwards. I lowered my rifle, just watching my two closest friends hold each other in that one tearful moment. I just stood there, oblivious of the people in the distance and bore witness to a poor girl who in a brief moment lost her mind and the big lug of a man there to be her shoulder to cry on.

"I'm so…sorry Choji."

"It's ok Ino." He held her closer with a couple tears in his eyes. "I'm here for you. I love you."

"_This place…what is it with this place? I hate it here…_"


	39. Chapter 39

"Ino…" It took a few minutes but Ino's rage had finally subsided. Choji whispered to her as he held her close, the girl's face a mess of dirt, tears, and dried blood, most of it not even her own.

I heard loud footsteps coming in our direction. "Nara…what the fuck?!?" Sure enough, it was Sarutobi and he was madder than hell.

"Sorry sergeant, Ino had…a problem."

"Well sort the shit out later so cut the cinematic crap. We gotta move. The set-up point was relocated to a spot a few kilometers to the west of the base since those assholes compromised our position." Choji let Ino go as Sarutobi knelt down to her level. "Yamanaka, are you fit to fight? I saw what happened before and I saw what you did."

"I…"

"The bodies I see around me…you did this didn't you?" He focused his attention on the Soundies that Ino in her moment of fury and bloodlust had slaughtered. "I can see and smell the blood on you…on Akimichi…and the knife."

She gasped slightly as I heard the metal hit the ground. "S…S…"

"I don't ever want to see that from you again. I don't ever want to see that Private Yamanaka again. You nearly lost yourself there and believe you me I know how you're hurtin'. I lost my dad too but you do not lose your cool like that and almost get shot to pieces before we even get to where the objective is. Do you understand private?"

"Y…Yes…sergeant."

"Good. I'm glad you're ok, but don't let that happen again. Sergeant Mitarashi lost a third of her squad already and I'll be damned if I share the same fate. Akimichi, keep watch on her and get a bandage on that wound. She'll be your assistant you understand? Nazuka will be with me now."

"Yes sergeant." He warily agreed.

"Good, let's go now. Fuckin' Sound will be here any minute with a larger force to take us out."

"Sergeant," I casually whispered to him as we walked shoulder to shoulder, "you think that's such a good idea letting her be his assistant now?"

"Yeah, yeah I know Nara. Believe me I know, but if he's the best thing we've got at her not blowing her lid again and getting killed this time, we need to take such measures."

"Well you didn't see what happened after the battle sergeant, when Akimichi and I caught up to her."

"I have a pretty good idea just getting a look at her Nara. Don't think for one second that I don't know what she did and what this place is doing to soldiers like her. Frankly Nara I'm surprised she held out that long before snapping. She's going to be a little weak in the knees for a while but with that big guy watching over her it'll compensate for it. We keep her in the back and have her concentrate on only two things, being a medic and being his assistant."

Choji looked rather concerned. "Ino, your leg…"

"It's ok Choji. I can manage." Her walk was limped due to the previous melee she had when she went berserker on us. I could see the pain on her face and the shaky voice was a dead giveaway.

"Enough. Let me help you." He grabbed her medical kit and grabbed whatever he thought would be sufficient enough for the wound. "Sit down for just one second."

"I'm…I'm the medic Choji. I can…I can handle myself. Please don't…"

"Shhhh. Ino…what did I say before? I'm going to be here for you, and if Sarutobi made us a team then a team we'll act like. I've seen you do this dozens of times before. Now let's see here. This might hurt a bit." He rubbed something that he assumed was that disinfectant powder and put it along Ino's leg.

"Fffffuck that stings."

"I know. It's ok though. Now for your dressing."

"Don't, don't waste it Choji. I don't have a lot."

"Don't worry." Quickly but delicately he wrapped the cloth around her leg and tied it just enough to hold in place but not cause her to scream in agony. "There…much better. Now give me your arm."

"But…"

"Gimme your arm Ino. You're still hurting and I wanna help some more."

"Fool…" I heard her mutter under her breath but he paid no heed. He slung her arm around his shoulder and hoisted her up. "Your gun…"

He chuckled as he gripped his MG with his right hand and held Ino close with his left, burdening her weight on his body, but I knew he could take it. "Please…it's me…your big lug Choji. You'd have to tack on two hundred pounds more to even slow me an inch."

She weakly muttered back. "Fat idiot…"

"I heard that."

We got back to the rest of the group in no time, the LT discussing with her sergeant on the next course of action. As before with the first skirmish we had the morbid task of scavenging the dead, including our own. We lost eight people in that fight including two more from 4th. The Soundies in turn lost around twenty-five. It sounded like a victory but with the numbers they have and the ones we have it wasn't. Our wounded situation was better. Most of the soldiers that were wounded could still move and only one was critically wounded. However that man succumbed to them during the fight. The lot of us formed the perimeter again expecting the Soundies to redouble their efforts yet surprisingly they weren't. Meanwhile the NCOs and LT were busy planning a way out of this clusterfuck.

"Are you sure we should be heading west sergeant? It will take us longer and we'll be losing the darkness to our advantage."

"The main avenues of approach are to the northeast of us ma'am. You had told us of roving patrols going up and down the roads."

Asuma butted himself in the conversation. "Well ma'am, not for nothin', but the element of surprise is pretty much all but lost. The best we can do is evade the bastards for as long as possible."

"Good point sergeant."

"How long is it going to take to get to the new point?"

Mitarashi stepped up to the plate with her two cents. "Depends on our pace. We've got a bunch wounded and from the looks of it you guys have barely a scratch."

"No worries sergeant, we'll compensate for you guys." The Water platoon sergeant replied cheerfully as if he had no idea what we endured and this was just a stroll through the forest. Then again high spirits were desperately needed here.

"Good. I'm not quite sure what our time situation is…my bloody watch broke."

Sarutobi rolled up his wrist. "I've got ya covered ma'am. From the looks of it I see zero two one five. That gives us about four hours left before the darkness lifts."

"Better than I thought. What of the wounded?"

"They can walk ma'am, but it'll delay us a little bit. I'd give us about two hours for us to get to the western flank of the base. Since the enemy will most likely think we're travelling along the main avenues of approach or purely from the north, they'll most likely increase their patrol presence there."

"Then what about what just happened?"

"It must've been a platoon wandering around looking for us. How reinforcements haven't come is a miracle but it seems we killed their radio man so runners are all they have now."

"Then we have no more time to waste. Let's go troopers."

Because of the wounded like Ino and to a lesser extent Kankuro who suffered wounds in Kusagakure before, our pace had slowed quite a bit. Not a problem by me since I was sick of the feeling of my lungs burning. Temari and I kept a keen eye for the enemy now that our eyes had fully adjusted. So far…nothing.

"Any idea why we're not getting shot at again?" I asked her which I wholeheartedly meant to do.

"Seriously? No idea…and it's strange. You figured after fighting a whole platoon they'd bring the cavalry."

Naruto came within earshot of us. "Another ambush?"

"Wouldn't rule it out pal." Temari said levelly. "So far it's been two for two."

"I gotta agree boss."

"Hey Shikamaru…"

"Yeah Temari?"

"That medic of yours, is she ok? I heard some vile shit comin' outta her mouth."

"Ino's ok for now. Sarutobi and Choji are keeping an eye on her. She's not one hundred percent back that's for sure, but she's better."

"Don't think I'm being dickish Shika. I'm just asking. Lord knows I've seen my own people resort to such, such…psychosis. She seemed like the innocent and popular girl before all this."

"You don't know the half of it Temari."

Naruto stuck himself in the middle of us. "Ya know for all the boasting you two do of being 'tactful,' you sure gab a whole lot." Blondie got us there, so we shut up lest we look even more the hypocrite.

"Moron…" Temari whispered earning her an approving grin on my face. I still stayed quiet fighting the urge to retort like a smartass to our B.A.R.-wielding comrade. Temari swallowed her pride and followed suit.

Our movement, while somewhat quick, became more tactical than previously. Maybe it was because we had more people that I didn't worry as much about the Sound directly on our tail or the need to flee altogether. However since we engaged that platoon most of us figured they'd be sending in reinforcements but so far no harassing fires. I had the faint smell of another ambush but for some strange reason as we progressed for the next half-hour dodging patrols there were none to be had. Did we really give the Sound the slip after that skirmish? To our right we saw large amounts of truck lights in the far distance, most likely to investigate the scrap they had with us. Maybe they thought we were going to chase the fleeing platoon into the woods as if we were a bunch of idiots. Did the Sound really think of us as impulsive barbarians that just blindly went as we pleased even into the jaws of defeat? I'd say the track record said otherwise but such arrogance on their end…

Another hour passed and still nothing. That didn't mean that we were completely out of sight of the Soundies and on many occasions had to scramble when the patrols would come by. The troop concentration was getting thicker which to me meant two things. First, that fracas put the Soundies on edge most definitely…of course if the flaming hulk of a glider wasn't their initial warning. Second, we were getting closer to the rocket base so obviously security was going to be tighter.

When I quickly read the map I got a bead on some of the terrain that we'd see while approaching the rally point. A few of the small elevations kept me in the belief that we were still in the right direction.

"Hold it guys." I put my fist up.

"What's up Shika?" Naruto asked. I looked down to where the moonlight had reflected upon the ground, where the very reflections rippled and waved.

"Water. A small creek but still…gotta find an easy way to get through." Shit. Just my luck. Not a damn fallen tree in sight. "Damnation. Temari…look for the shallowest part."

"Right." She hurried down the right side of the small creek, desperately seeking some stable rocks or a sandy base. Meanwhile I followed her with the other two for a few minutes. "Hey Shika…got something here."

"What's up?" She pointed to a small pattern of small rocks. It wasn't much but with enough coordination we could skip across them. "Ok good finding Temari. Naruto, take Konohamaru and get back to Sarutobi. Tell him we found a small pathway we could get through. Get to it."

"You got it."

I paused to look at Temari. "This is gonna be tough. Better than fording though…and with people like Ino in the state she's in…"

"You got a better idea?"

"No…" I snapped back. "No need for biting replies Temari."

A minute passed as we waited for the main body to approach us. Hopefully that dimwit didn't get lost. Temari looked at me. "Cover me for a second."

"Why?"

"I'm going to go across." Before I could object she was already hopping from stone to stone.

"Damn it Temari!" I hissed at her as tactfully as I could. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing…now shut up. You're hurting my concentration." It didn't really look that way when she managed to get across as dexterously as possible, scanning across the other side for movement. "See? Not that hard you whiner. Now c'mon…we'll help the others."

"Ok…bossy broad." I said to myself. Out of curiosity I stuck my finger in the water. It was cold…real fucking cold, just like the aura of this entire forest.

"C'mon twinkle toes just get across the fuckin' creek." She harshly demanded from me as if she was Sarutobi or something. The nerve of that woman…

"For fuck's sake…"

I wasn't precisely the lithe and agile being Temari was that was for damn sure. I was quick on the draw and was adaptable but I don't do that tiptoe balance beam bullshit. I put my boot on the first rock. I could feel the fuzzy and damp moss below me. Had it been underwater I'd already be slipping and sliding.

"Ok…not so bad…careful…easy…" I traversed to the next stone and then the next one. It wasn't the small ones that were close that were the problem. It was the far away ones, the ones where you had to take a pause and think of how hard and long you had to leap.

"S'not so bad now is it baby?" She mockingly asked me with a stupid giggle, giving me all the more motivation to launch myself over and give her a piece of my mind.

"Shaddap Temari…" I leaned over towards the next rock and felt my footing slip. "FUCK!" I dared not curse out loud seeing how the Sound could be anywhere. My boot hit the water a little bit before I quickly pulled it out. Within a few seconds I felt the iciness around the arch of my foot. I just prayed it'd dry up or my foot would stay warm. Hypothermia is rather…troublesome to say the least, especially in this shit storm that we landed ourselves in and the nearest triage center hundreds of miles away.

"Slick."

I growled just loud enough for Temari to hear my agitation. She just snickered while scanning the area again. I grew confused as to whether she was just a bitch on purpose or an overgrown child when it came to her demeanor. If I wasn't so attracted to her I swear I'd…

"A little faster twinkle toes…my knees are crampin' up pullin' security for your slow ass."

"Troublesome woman…"

The next few stones were a little trickier but with some luck I managed to find a few fallen branches to prop my boots up from that nastily cold water. The creek was no more than twenty or so feet wide but the fact that it was so frigid made it cause for concern. With the last leap of faith I successfully traversed across it with little damage save for a slightly wet boot. I turned to Temari and sneered. "There…are ya happy now?"

"Took you long enough. Now scan the horizon."

I growled again. "Oh…yes ma'am, ok ma'am."

"Ok goody. Here comes the rest of the gang. Looks like the twit didn't fuck it up."

"Check it out ma'am," Sarutobi's voice making itself distinct from the rest, "looks like they found a more fordable pathway. Good eyes there Nara, knew we could count on you."

I grinned with devilish delight as Temari looked cheated and increasingly bitter. "Thanks sergeant, just doin' what I do best." I could hear Temari grumbling something about me taking the credit like an asshole which only brought me more satisfaction.

"Right then, let's get ourselves across. Two people pull security on both sides while we file through. As for the wounded, somebody support them while another carries their weapon."

"Akimichi…" Sarutobi immediately turned to him, "piggyback Yamanaka. Nakamura, carry his weapon for him."

Choji nodded. "You got it sergeant. C'mon Ino…up ya go." With a couple of grunts of pain she was being held tight by his arms. "Not so bad eh? I got ya now."

She weakly chuckled as she felt the warmth of his back and gripped her arms tightly around him. "Choji...thanks." She could hear the grunts of pain uttered from his mouth as she could barely see the slash mark she gave him when she wasn't herself. "Your…your arm."

"Stop worryin' Ino. I'm just fine." There was an air of comfort in his voice in a very uncomfortable situation. Ino was still horribly shaken up not to mention in pain from that knife wound. Ino showing her comfort, albeit small, around him was exactly what he needed. Despite having around a hundred thirty pounds of a woman and her equipment on his back, it didn't seem to faze him as he meticulously made it from stone to stone keeping Ino completely safe from the chilly water which by the way had not penetrated my skin to the point where I'd be up shit creek. As soon as he stepped on one of the middle rocks he slipped and got half of his boots in the water.

"Choji!" Ino said with concern.

"It's ok, I got ya." With surprising discipline he just slogged himself back up on top of the rock, ignoring the wetness of his pant leg and his boot without even having to loosen his grip on Ino's legs. "Hang on." With one massive leap he got across the creek and subtly tried to catch his breath, the effort of lugging our medic taking a bigger toll on his energy than even I had thought. "There…all set now." He carefully put Ino down who grabbed her Garand from him. Nakamura who barely made it over before bequeathed Choji's machine gun right back to him. "You ok to walk?"

I could hear the grunts of pain hissing through Ino's teeth as she tried to walk near me. "I think…I think I'm ok."

"Ok Ino. I told you I'd get you across no problem. Ain't got a speck of water on ya."

She patted her legs save for the wound and confirmed there wasn't a drop on her. I heard her quietly huff a laugh out. "Thanks again Choji."

"Hey Choji…catch." Naruto tossed him a small round object. "It ain't much but at least I've got a spare pair for you. I don't need 'em."

Judging by Choji's rise in tone it was something he really needed. "Naruto…thanks man."

"Anytime. Now c'mon hurry up and get those socks on before you get frostbite."

Choji wasted no time getting his soaking wet socks off and ringing them out. In a matter of a minute he was re-laced and ready to go. "I owe you one pal. A drink on me when we're done with all this."

It took around ten to fifteen more minutes but the lot of us got across without any serious issues. A couple of slips and slides were the only things. Luckily we didn't have some dumb shit private try to play acrobat and end up completely drenched, leaving the suggestion of leaving the idiot at the hands of the enemy…but we weren't that cruel, were we?

"Point man, what's the bearing on that compass." The LT inquired of me.

I took out the compass that still had some glow to it. Recently the intelligence folks and some of the more creative developers of the war effort came up with some nifty idea to allow a small strip in the compass to be painted with some shit that glowed in the dark. Ayako would always joke around saying that shit would give you cancer or radiation poisoning due some stuff Shino called tritium but I'd rather run the bullshit risk than wander around in the dark and get pasted.

"Well then? Haven't got all bloody day in case you haven't noticed." Her tone made Sarutobi huff a bit being the protective squad "father" he is but I took it with a grain of salt. I'm sure after a minute he'd do the same.

"Bearing's still northwest ma'am. We adjust ourselves about five degrees northward we should be good to go."

"Very good. Lead us off then."

"Right ma'am. C'mon Temari let's move. You two get up here as well." I directed my voice at the seemingly inseparable Konohamaru and Naruto. Again I got no protest from Sarutobi having his nephew at the front. It could've been a sign of trust in me but playing inner mind games was pretty low on my priority list.

"Hey boss…why're we hangin' around these two again?" In an almost petulant manner, Sarutobi's nephew whined to Naruto garnering a glare from me. "I mean we got into deep shit with them before."

Naruto paused for a second. "Private…just fuckin' do it ok? I've known Corporal Nara ever since we were kids. I trust him to get us through. He got me an' Hinata through Kusagakure along with that Moegi friend of yours. He's no idiot."

"Ok then boss."

I grinned. "Naruto…thanks. Even in your moments of stupidity you've been a good pal." For a split second my concentration focused more on that little ring sack of his than what was in front of me. I thought quickly about that moment in the hospital, a sleeping Hinata, a remorseful Naruto, and the vow that he made to marry her. As time progressed it wasn't the very action of proposing to the meek medic but more the timing of such an action that really became the cause for concern. I began to grow in worry for my comrade that as this war progressed that such an opportunity was rapidly thinning. What was he waiting for? We nearly got immolated and/or crushed to death by a falling glider, and yet he still hesitates? Then again, I've always been one to preach patience so complaining to him would've just made me look like a hypocrite. If something happened that he would believe was the right moment, then so be it, it would be the right moment. Choji and I being his best friends certainly hoped such a time would come and he'd be ok as a married man…

"But he sure is a big baby on matters." Like clockwork Temari broke the inner thought with a typical bitch remark that got Konohamaru snickering and further eroded whatever command presence I had established with the three of them.

"Ok quiet time is now. We're on the move. Temari stick with the little guy and make sure he doesn't trip on a rock."

"Hey!" The little guy whispered in anger.

"Konohamaru…listen to Corporal Nara." Naruto replied levelly.

"Thanks. Anyway Temari, I'm with Naruto. Now then, no more complaints outta anyone. It's tactical silence time." I saw their heads bob up and down in acknowledgement.

I was impressed by their compliance. Not even Konohamaru said a peep to Naruto as we zigzagged from tree to rock to tree. We caught sight of the occasional patrol but the cover of darkness was still giving us the advantage. It had seemed the Soundies had stepped up their efforts with recon planes flying around in the distance and the patrols also near double in size. This meant one of two things. Either the Sound received reinforcements from God knows where, or they diverted their forces from the rocket base to search the areas around it. I, and pretty much the rest of the task force, certainly hoped it was the latter which would make this already shitty mission a wee bit easier. Another hour had passed and I felt like we were wandering in a forest in an eternal night. My eyes felt heavy as the lack of sleep was once again getting at me. I took a wad of ground coffee one of my rations was so kind to provide to me and stuck it in between my cheek and my gums. It tasted awful but the caffeine was just what I needed to keep me going along.

"Gimme some of that Shikamaru." Temari demanded from me.

For the sake of not giving ourselves away I spared her the typical sneering reply and instead just got another wad available and gave it to her. I could hear her initial discomfort with the taste but afterwards a breath from her lips that felt like that of rejuvenation mixed with gratitude. She could thank me later. Feeling charitable I offered some to Naruto and Konohamaru who took it graciously. Of course I kept a small amount for myself just in case I was going to get all heavy-eyed again. Sadly the coffee grounds were only going to do so much to help me out before I passed out, but I didn't worry. The din of the upcoming fight was going to be enough of a wake-up for all of us. My heart still pumped with the expectation and thrill of what was about to happen.

"Check the map Shika." Naruto quietly muttered to me. After the creek crossing the LT had given me her map since her platoon sergeant finally reunited with her. I had to say it was rather nifty too.

I signaled Temari and Konohamaru to take a knee and scan the area. Naruto and I hunched behind some shrubs and tried to get whatever we could from the concealed flashlight I whipped out. "All right let's see here, there's the ridgeline right there and we just passed the depression, so if I had a hazard to guess we're somewhere around…here." I delicately pointed to a section of contours. Since a lot of the map reading skills were thrown out the window ever since our presence was very well established, I had to rely mostly on terrain association, a trick that wasn't one hundred percent encouraged, but it seemed to work well enough for our parents and ancestors.

Naruto nodded as if he had a surprisingly deceptive amount of knowledge about this. "I see. Then if we're there the rocket base is somewhere in this vicinity." He pointed to the marked circle that was due north of our position give or take a few degrees off. "That lady said we're hittin' the west side of this base right?"

"That's right."

"Then we should adjust around five degrees to the left."

"I don't think so Naruto." It was admirable for him to throw out tactical suggestions, but I was the better navigator than him that was for damn sure. Of course if I said that he'd throw the Sound ambushes in my face but those were special circumstances. He wouldn't have been immune to that shit either. "Five degrees in the wrong direction could throw us off considerably." I took out the compass and read the bearing of three-hundred fifteen degrees. "If anything, we need to adjust a little to the right."

He accepted his fault with a firm nod but a faint laugh. "Guess that's why Sarutobi made you corporal, Shika. You always know what to do."

"Let's not flatter anyone here, Corporal Uzumaki." I reminded him, albeit grimly, of his recent promotion via Mitarashi. It wasn't meant to guilt him, but rather to not make him feel as if he was still subordinate to me.

"Nah we still ain't equals Shikamaru even if I appreciate your effort. I've got the drive but you've got the brains and the level head, and that can sometimes take a man father in these sorts of things. The same rank thing means nothin'. You kept me and my gal Hinata alive back in Kusa and it was all you. I don't think I could've ever accomplished the same feat."

I was rather awestruck by his praise. "Naruto…"

"Don't get sentimental like that. It ain't you. C'mon…your lady's probably gettin' impatient and I can't keep my little protégé hangin'."

"Right. Tell them what I just told you. We haven't got a lot of time left so we've gotta step up our pace all right?"

"No prob." He scurried off to relay the message to Temari and Konohamaru. Meanwhile I packed my things and gripped my rifle tightly. With a wave of the hand the four of us were off again. With each step we took it was one step closer to our objective and the vengeance people like Temari and Ino were chomping at the bit for. I hated such anticipation…then again I hated pretty much everything about this war save for my friends, Sarutobi, and Temari.

I recalled the adage, "Time flies when you're having fun," and boy was it flying. My watch read at four forty-eight. We've been moving about for a little over fifty minutes and still no site of the base. I began to worry that maybe my adjustment had gotten us wrong. I could hear Temari's huffs of frustration trying to get her bearings and Konohamaru's groans of fatigue and a sense of being lost. We weren't lost damn it…I knew where we were going.

"Shikamaru…hey Shikamaru…what the hell is that?" Naruto hissed to me tapping me on the arm repeatedly.

"Huh? What?"

"Over there." We all took a knee behind some cover as he pointed off to the right side of us. I took me a little squinting but it appeared to be a pair of lights.

"Lights?"

"Yeah…but are they vehicle or something else?"

I waved to Temari "Use your scope get a bead on that." She nodded and clicked her scope a couple turns before quietly sinking into the ground to get an observation. A minute passed until she rose up again during which she didn't move a muscle. I was rather impressed with such an ability that I hadn't seen in a long time. "So?"

"I don't believe it…your lazy ass got us within viewing distance."

I glowered at her despite my overall relief that we finally found it. "Oh jeez…thanks for the vote of confidence."

"Anytime crybaby." I checked the map to make sure it was indeed the right place. Naruto and I scanned the area for identifiable terrain and Temari was right. This was the place. Thank God.

"Konohamaru, Naruto, get back to Sarutobi and the rest. Tell 'em we've found what we were looking for."

"Right."

Temari snickered as she rubbed her hand on my shoulder. "Nice job partner."

"You insult me and then praise me. God, you women are a bother."

Heavy footsteps came from behind us after about a minute of waiting around. "Nara…what's up?" Sarutobi's gruff voice rang right behind me. I still got a chill even if I knew the lot of them were behind me.

"We found the base sergeant. It's off there in the distance but the map doesn't have anything else that belongs to the Sound like it. It's gotta be it."

"Fan-fuckin'-tastic Nara. Again I knew you could do it."

"But actually it was Uzumaki who first spotted it."

That seemed to have caught Sarutobi off-guard. "Really?" I nodded. "Huh…how d'ya like that? Nice work kid. Seems Anko can train her soldiers well after all."

"Hey!" She protested from the distance. "I heard that Asuma."

"Here ma'am," the Water platoon sergeant pulled out some binoculars, "have a look."

She studied whatever she was looking at for a solid minute or two and then gave them back with a wide grin on her face. "Bloody hell…we did find it. No more running about this forest like a bunch of scared rabbits. All right then troopers, let's get to the western flank of this bloody monstrosity so we can finally give them what for."

It seems that the majority of us, save for me and a couple others, found some renewed motivation upon finally laying eyes on the objective. Speeding towards the objective we had to trade some tactical silence for precious night concealment. However we didn't just half-ass our rush. Naruto, Konohamaru, Temari, and I still led from the front and made damn sure we weren't going to run into some wandering Sound patrol or another coordinated attack like before. They were still looking for us and I'd be damned if we found our objective only to be blindsided by some ambitious Sound pricks.

With the pace we were in it took us about another half-hour but we could start to see the base in finer detail. Ten minutes more and we were relatively close to our little rendezvous point. That Water platoon sergeant certainly knew his craft. It was nestled atop a high slope, nothing involving rock climbing but still giving us a great vantage point to observe the enemy. When the rest of the task force arrived and established security we waited nervously for any Sound patrols to come our way. So far…nothing.

"Have another look ma'am." The LT again carefully viewed the surroundings with her binoculars, inspiring Temari, Corporal Okubo, and I to do the same. Although we felt a rush getting to the base, our fears were renewed as they looked rather armed to the teeth. Flak platforms dotted the landscape below along with a garage for the various trucks that went in and out. What were even scarier were the four-cannon platforms that could not only target pesky recon planes but also tear us to shreds should we get in their crosshairs. I gulped knowing that the skill Temari and I possessed were going to be needed a lot more than wanted.

"Hmmm…see those two guard towers there?"

"Yes."

"The guards take shifts looking and there are a couple blind spots where the lights don't touch. If we can get some satchel charges on those walls they'll send the towers crashing down and open a nice gap for us to pour through. Of course our snipers will have to simultaneously eliminate those gun crews."

"No worries on that ma'am. Got the best shot here with you." Corporal Okubo so arrogantly spoke up to assuage the LT's fears.

She just smiled and nodded. "Let's hope that's the case corporal. Ok, now our engineers can sneak through but I'll need a small breach force to cover them after the charges go off and then a main effort to reinforce the initial breach."

"I've got you on the breach force ma'am." Once again giving my heart a jolt Sarutobi spoke up to volunteer.

"Sergeant!" I protested.

He cockily chuckled. "It'll give you more motivation to not miss Nara…with your friends and sergeant's lives on the line and all. Besides we've got the guts and the manpower right Anko?"

"Quite a brash move Asuma, but I'm with you all the way on this." She smiled as she pulled back and released the charging handle on her Thompson.

"Good. I knew you wouldn't give me guff. Akimichi, is your .30 cal loaded and ready?"

"Fit to fire sergeant." He said with swelling pride and anticipation.

"Good. Yamanaka is your assistant gunner and as such will be staying with you for support. You establish a base of fire as far back from us as possible. If you go down then we're in deep shit." He turned to Ino. "You stay with Akimichi and help him all right? Any wounded the two of you can treat once clear."

She didn't say a peep, only gave a nod.

"All right, it's going to be a shit storm when those charges go off but we have to use surprise to our advantage. These Sound bastards tried this on us twice and I'll be damned if we won't give it right back to them. Sergeant, I want you to position your men off to the side to pour through once the breaching force has made it clear. Leave a small detachment to cover the snipers should the Sound find their positions and remember to advance as we penetrate further. We don't have a lot of manpower so we have to get in, blow these bloody things to kingdom come, and get out with whatever we can."

"Rigging a truck or two wouldn't hurt." One of the troopers muttered catching the LT's attention.

"Who said that?"

"I…I did ma'am." A meek trooper who looked no older than nineteen stepped forward. From the looks of it she was a schoolgirl plucked out for the war.

"State your name private."

"Trooper Takigawa ma'am."

"I like your style trooper. If we can hotwire some trucks and get out in one piece I'll see to it you're promoted or at least given a medal."

The girl turned from apprehensive to ecstatic. "Yes…yes ma'am!"

"You stay with me then trooper. I'll get you out of this in one piece."

"Looks kind of grim don't ya think Temari?" I nudged her as she continued to scan with her rifle.

"Looks more like a challenge to me. This is kind of exciting, bringin' back the old days instead of that constant urban assault you Leaf boys seem so privy towards."

"Yeah well I prefer meeting the Sound on more open landscapes and when we're not surrounded."

"Can't have your cake and eat it too crybaby. Besides…there's still plenty of…of…" Her tone turned from excited to cold in an instant leaving me puzzled.

"Plenty of what Temari?" Her breathing picked up in tone and ferocity as if she just witnessed some sort of immediate injustice. "Plenty of what?"

"Him…"

"What are you…?" I picked up my scope and tried to get a look at whatever just set her off. I waved from patrolling sentries to a passing truck to more troopers. "I don't see what you're talking ab…" And then I saw him. It was a man standing outside the concrete structure that looked like their command center. He had short-cropped reddish hair yet carried no special Akatsuki uniform. He looked more like a civilian for that matter. Next to him was a man decked out in all black but with bright blonde hair and an eye patch covering up a hideous scar. That must've been the man behind all this terror…Deidara.

"Kankuro…" Temari hissed to her brother.

"What's up sis?" She handed him her rifle and pointed in a general direction. While not as handy with the scope he got the same view in no time and the same look was smeared on his face. "You've gotta be kidding me. At long last…"

"Guys?" I tried getting some sense into them.

"Payback." Kankuro smiled in a way I wish he hadn't. Then I realized…it was the traitor they talked about so much, Sasori. This wasn't good…not good at all. With Kankuro and Temari now enraged upon sight of this man I feared they'd let their vendetta get in front of the mission. If I couldn't reason with Kankuro I'd at least try Temari.

"Temari I know what you're thinking and I implore you not to do it. If we're successful we'll get this bastard but don't do anything stupid all right?"

She turned to me with this look that challenged my request but I stood my ground. She huffed and nodded after a minute of the standoff. "All right…but it doesn't change how I want that man dead."

"Just do what you're told and when we get to this guy then we'll let the proper channels do their work."

"Whatever…"

"Right…so we all know what to do?" It took the LT about fifteen more minutes of planning but we had the idea. "I just hope this works."

"Whatever happens ma'am, you can still count on us." Sarutobi spoke up to speak on behalf of the Leaf.

"I was wrong about you blokes. You're good people and even better allies. I wish we could've met under better circumstances but fate is a cruel mistress."

"That she is." Mitarashi added.

"Well then…Godspeed all of you. I'll be right behind with the main effort."

Sarutobi just respectfully grunted as he rallied our combined Leaf soldiers right behind the engineers. I watched them descend the hill silently under cover of darkness. I couldn't help but lower my scope to watch their progress, praying to either fate or God as Shino would do that they wouldn't be caught. Nevertheless I still had to watch my targets. Temari and Corporal Okubo were doing the same and if I was to help I had to stay focused.

"Asuma…don't get us all killed."

He sped from cover to cover dodging the light and any patrolling soldier looking around. He made it look all too easy. Naruto and Konohamaru were with Mitarashi taking the other side supporting the other engineers getting through. I felt my heart pound unmercifully. The probability of success for this mission was already low, and with the crap we endured it lowered even more, but I wasn't going to die in a hellhole like this and in a manner like this. We were going to get through this.

The search light panned across the ground yet didn't hit a single soldier. So far so good but we weren't out of the woods yet. The engineers crept closer to the walls of the base. In the distance a rocket was being prepped for launch, ready to fly towards another target and terrorize civilians and soldiers alike. We couldn't let this happen. We couldn't let this stand. Like the children of the Waterfall Nation, we weren't going to let another Sound injustice happen under our watch. Ino and Choji were carefully behind away from the breaching force loosely positioning their gun under the shadows, ready to mow down any defenders that stood in our way. I myself focused on one of the four-cannon flak gunners whose gun was pointed up but could easily traverse to our position. Every second felt like an eternity with the engineers finally getting within close range of their charges.

"Ready Shikamaru?" Temari calmly asked me holding her Kar98k steady as a rock.

"With you next to me I guess I am…"

The search lights swiveled to the corners along with the tripod-based MG42 positions, giving the engineers enough time to hop over the rocks and get next to the walls. My pulse quickened watching them prep the charges, ten second charge if I remember Sakura's teachings once. They plopped them next to the corners of the towers and legged it back over the rocks.

In mere seconds the place was about to be lit afire and I had a front row seat, yet I was no spectator. This was it…this was again for all the marbles. In just a short bit our lives would once more be on the line and I had the active part once more.

I kept my aim right on that flak gunner, the crosshairs right at the helmet as I counted out. "Ten…nine…eight…seven…"

Temari joined. "Five…four…three…"

"Two…one…"

And then I pulled the trigger.


	40. Chapter 40

The man's head jerked to the side so fast I swore I broke his neck in the process. A split-second afterwards, the earth shook with the resounding force of the satchel charge. I got one more shot off before a massive plume of dust, wood, and concrete shot up in front of me. The element of surprise was officially over. The Sound knew we were here now. The guard towers had completely fallen over, the occupants either thrown out by the concussive blast or killed by it.

"Stay on your targets!" I ordered to the rest of the sharpshooters. A soldier to the right of my scope fell as I heard the sharp crack of Temari's rifle. She said nothing as there was no need for dialogue, not in a tense moment like this. The wailing alarm sounded along with a couple sergeants screaming to rally troops. A mass of about twelve or so soldiers came rushing towards Sarutobi and the rest, giving the cue for the Bren gunner to my left to open up. He did with a vengeance, pouring lead down on the assaulting squad and cutting down a quarter of them instantly while the rest fled to cover. The two big targets, Deidara and that traitor Sasori, fled into the HQ bunker, Temari's bullet nailing the guard rail where the Suna turncoat once was. I heard her curse and hiss in a most foul manner but didn't let it affect me.

However, sending my heart into a flurry, Sarutobi decided to spearhead the assault, most likely to motivate the others. With the flak guns unmanned, the entrance was smoother than I thought as he, Asano, and Nazuka got to cover behind a large stack of what was a guard tower. Nakamura, Toyama, and Sugiyama followed suit, laying down suppressive fire to allow the Water soldiers to advance. An MG team had them pinned however.

"Temari…get that gunner! I'll get the spotter!"

"On it!" She turned her rifle to where I was aiming. The MG42 team had moved up under their own covering fire but not before the gunner fell flat, Temari's rifle cracking again. The stunned spotter quickly tried to dive for cover but a shot to the midsection courtesy of me stopped him in his tracks.

"Beautiful shot, miss!" Okubo complimented before cracking off another one.

"Keep the fire going with that machine gun!" I pointed to the trooper as he loaded another magazine into the weapon. He simply nodded. "It's a miracle they haven't spotted us yet!"

A sharp thwack sound resonated near me as a bullet went right through the tree I used as cover. While no one was hit, our tempo got all fucked up.

Temari scowled. "Oh you just had to fucking say it, didn't ya?"

"Just keep firing you cantankerous woman!" I snarled right back. "God!" Despite Asuma and the rest needing our cover, we needed to get our aggressors off our back first. Their riflemen were good, but the darkness still gave us the advantage and giving me the opportunity to fell one of the shooters before he could reload. From the corner of my eye, Mitarashi and Naruto advanced towards a couple hiding behind sandbags. While I fired to keep their heads down, the Soundies were completely unaware of our two buddies. They primed two grenades and threw them over the concrete ledge, giving me the impetus to lay fire down on someone else. The sudden boom was all I needed to hear. Naruto turned in our general direction, my scope revealing a smirk on his face and a quick nod.

"Thanks buddy." I whispered getting back to playing target practice.

By this time the strike force got itself into the base with no casualties. I made no comment as to not jinx the matter even if I found superstitions stupid.

"We're clear!" Okubo yelled. "Keep raining down on 'em lads!"

The Water LT and her platoon sergeant had fanned out with the rest of their troops dodging the fire. One had tried to advance past a corner of the base but to our horror had nice-sized holes put in him. The staccato "brak-brak-brak" fire telling us another flak gun was still operation.

"Shit! Where is that gun! It's out of our range!" Okubo yelled.

Temari paused for a second. "Shikamaru, watch my six. I'm getting a better vantage!"

"Wait wha…?" Before I could turn my head she flew off to my left, towards the steeper ledge. "Temari! Damn it we're supposed to stay together!"

Apparently she ignored me as she started dashing up the slope, hopping from foothold to foothold. Her foot lost grip of a sliding rock and she fell flat.

"TEMARI!"

"Damn it Shikamaru…I'm fine!" She hissed right back as she sprung up and was already there. The flak gun continued its horrifying defense on our comrades. Ayako was nearly torn to shreds as he exposed himself just barely in front of the gun. They were pinned. Another one of the Water soldiers tried to scale the concrete ledge but was forced right back down as a bullet grazed her arm. While I was halfway dodging bullets behind rocks, she planted herself at an angle where even I could see the crew. Since Temari was out in the open and not getting shot at she must've not been seen. The Bren gunner laid down another burst of fire giving me just enough respite to traverse over.

"Shikamaru! I spotted them but I need your help!" She pointed. "I can get only parts of their heads."

"Figures you can't do it on your own."

"Just shut up and help me!"

I leapt across to get to her, my breath heavy and my limbs sore already. My aim was a little shaky due to the climb but I knew time was of the essence. My first shot was off, skimming the ledge.

"Damn it!" I howled in frustration.

Temari scoffed loudly. "Just calm the fuck down and shoot."

I didn't bother to reply, just tried to calm down was what I did. The trajectory and angles of my shots were always something to take into account, but when the target was this small even a crack shot like me had issues. "Steady…steady…" I mumbled to myself trying to control my breathing and heart rate. A lot of sniping is knowing when to take the shot, and believe you me, in the heat of battle such a luxury is rare. However, unlike what happened in Takigakure this one was more…stationary. I drowned out the noise around me and focused solely on that helmet. I could hear my heartbeat again, lurching with every pump of blood. I waited for that pause…waited…waited…and then, "NOW!" The rifle cracked and I saw the head fall below, a spatter of blood on the steel of the flak gun giving all the evidence I needed to confirm my kill.

"Nice shootin' there cowboy!" She whooped with a big grin as her rifle fired, killing the second crewman.

"Cowboy?"

We watched in reserved satisfaction as our comrades bound across with the big gun out of commission. Kankuro fired a few rounds down in that direction most likely at a Soundie aiming to re-man the flak gun.

I waved to Temari. "C'mon let's get back! We still have a better angle from where we were."

"Right!"

With that she led the charge back, bounding from spot to spot but careful enough as to not slip and slide down the hill. Last thing I wanted was a broken Temari.

"You get 'em?" Okubo asked.

"Yeah we've cut a path for them. It's looking good."

"Well then let's keep the pressure on them lads!"

We kept firing on anyone out in the open. Our accuracy was dipping slightly due to the wear and tear of the rifles, but we hadn't let up the rate.

I took another shot at a stormtrooper heading towards Naruto. Again I bailed him out of another jam but he'd never know. I then felt a strange whizzing near the back of my head and the hard smack of something against wood.

"HEY! Watch that fire!" I screamed to everyone.

"The hell you talking about?" A rather stocky but tough woman from the Water Airborne yelled back. "It wasn't me that's for sure." Another smacked a set of rocks behind us. "What in the bloody hell…?" She turned to her right. "Oh damn…" She turned her Bren over but immediately fell backwards, the sound of smacking flesh raising hairs on the back of my neck.

"SHIT! They're hitting us from the flank!"

"Okubo! Keep on the base. Temari and I will hold them off!" I screamed pulling an already alerted Temari alongside me. I could see some of them running up with their submachine guns ablaze. We still had the darkness as an ally, but our rifle flashes still gave us away. I had clipped one attacker in the shoulder and tumbling down she went…probably not dead but incapacitated nonetheless. Temari nailed another one but the problem was that we could only hold them off for so long.

"SHIT! GRENADE!" One of the Water troopers screamed. Another one managed to scoop it up and hurl it off to the side, the concussive force causing a ringing in the ears that you wouldn't imagine. I stumbled over, completely dazed but regaining composure in a second. Temari was screaming something but it was all slurred.

"Shikamaru! We gotta bail!"

"Wh…wha…?"

"Fuckin' A Shikamaru…we gotta bail…now!" She grabbed me by the collar and helped me slide down. Someone had grabbed the dead woman's machine gun from her but sadly her body remained. It ate at some people like Sarutobi to have to ditch the dead but better that than us joining them…at least that's what I thought.

"Get inside the base!" Another trooper yelled. Choji and Ino were the first to spot us, Ino banging on Choji to turn his MG around and cover us. It had seemed in this rare moment Ino was out of her emotional funk knowing my life along with Choji's and Sarutobi's depended on her alertness. I swung to the side and fired off bursts from the MP40 I snatched. Whether or not I hit someone I didn't give a shit about. I had to get inside that base. The burst of the .30 cal brought a slight comfort to my soul as Choji stopped the enemy fire in our direction.

"Get the fuck in Shikamaru! We can't abandon the sarge and everyone else too! Move it!"

"Thanks for the assist Choji."

"No problem…now let's move it! Ino grab the belt!"

With all of us inside, we fired our last shots at our assailants, leaving primed grenades as a parting gift. Now inside, it was pure fucking chaos. The warning alarms blared with ear-piercing drones and the screaming of Sound, Leaf, and Water soldiers blended together in a cacophony of discord.

"NARA! Get your ass over here!" The gruff voice of none other than Sarutobi was instantly recognized amidst the din. I ran like hell over to where he was taking cover behind a building. With him was Nazuka and Nakamura. "Yeah looks like you finally decided to show up! What the fuck happened?"

"Sound…got us from the flank." I paused to catch my breath as a chip of concrete landed on my head from a passing bullet. "We had to flee the position and we lost a trooper."

He sighed. "Shit. All right…take the rest of the squad including Akimichi and Yamanaka. We've gotta find some way to split up and take them. Staying bunched up like this will get us all killed! We also gotta get that Akatsuki fucker! You leave that to me ok?"

"Fine by me sergeant!"

"Good…get the rest of the squad and assault the higher position. With the numbers thinned we can scale the ledge and take out the opposition there. I'll head to the complex with 4th squad while the Water guys plant those charges." He took a long, deep breath. "You ready?"

"I guess so."

"Good enough. Move it!"

With the other soldiers by me, we bounded from cover to cover as best as we could. A lone submachine gunner atop a guard tower peppered our path with fire but a quick shot from Temari stopped her. It seemed Mitarashi had gone off with Sarutobi with half of her squad while I found myself running towards a position Naruto had established.

"Naruto!"

"Shikamaru! I see you're hankerin' for some action."

"Now's not the time Naruto. We have to get up there and wipe out the defenders. Have your guys grenade the position so that the rest of us can lay down some fire afterwards. If we can clear that ledge, we've got the drop on 'em. Choji there can also set up a good vantage spot while we assault. But most importantly, we gotta get the Water guys to the launching pads to plant the charges!"

"So we're playin' escort Shikamaru? That sounds like fun." A hint of sarcasm permeated through his speech.

"Yeah…no kiddin'. So…let's get to it corporal." I replied using his new rank in an almost equally sarcastic manner. Naruto and a couple of others including Kankuro each primed a grenade and hucked them over the side. Three second later a near unified chorus of booms echoed and several of the troops like Sugiyama, Asano, and Ayako peered over, firing their rifles at a punishing rate. A stray Sound bullet whacked the concrete next to Sugiyama's face.

"HOLY SHIT!" She screamed as she fell over, Toyama grabbing her with nigh supernatural quickness.

"Another grenade in please!" I screamed. This time it was Temari who, with a pilfered Sound stick grenade, launched it over to where she thought the fire came from. A panicked yell soon afterwards meant she was pretty damn close to the mark. I used that to fire a shot off before I ducked back from the blast. Sadly I hit no one but the grenade did its job throwing everyone else in disarray. "Naruto! Cover us! 3rd squad, over the ledge!" I kept my post while from the corner of my eye Toyama, Asano, and Sugiyama hoisted themselves up before the Sound could get a bead on them. Naruto got Ayako, Miyoshi, and a couple of others before eventually getting up himself.

"Shikamaru, cover me!" Temari with lighting speed and agility nearly vaulted herself up. Kankuro followed.

"Choji! Ino! Get up here!"

"MOVING!" Choji screamed with his big lungs. Our assailants from the flank had either turned tail or were all dead, leaving the two of them with plenty of time to pack up. I kept watch on the guys on those two while Temari covered my fellow squad members. He and Ino got to us rather quickly but we needed to be faster. The bullets were flying and I could see Sarutobi's group making little headway from the Sound defenders. Another glimpse caught my eye as I noticed that Deidara fellow running through the complex, the tunnel slits revealing his blonde hair.

"Ok guys…up ya go. Toyama, grab Choji's gun. Now you two…get up there and establish a good support by fire position!"

"C'mon Ino! Time for a boost!" Choji with one mighty push vaulted Ino up there even while she carried the extra ammunition. Ino hurriedly rushed to cover while Choji climbed up. Being the last man left, I scanned for any flank attackers and got myself up. It had seemed we created even more chaos as the Soundies either hopped down the ledge or hurried to some sort of cover, leaving several open for picking off which we did with extreme prejudice.

"Konohamaru! With me! Grenades down the ledge again!" Naruto commanded as the cover the Sound took forced Ayako and a few others into cover.

"Choji! Fire at their heads…keep 'em down for Naruto to move! The rest of you, cover the flank!"

"On it buddy! Ino, gimme a hand here!" Ino reloaded Choji's .30 cal while he primed it. "Now spot me."

An explosion went off behind Ino, rattling her a little bit. She was still rather iffy in behavior from her past freakout, leaving her with a blank look on her face.

"INO!"

Her eyes returned to focus. "Oh!"

"You can't be doin' that Ino!" Naruto screamed from the side. It's not that he was being dickish, but more focused on the men and women he had to watch over and whose lives my friends' actions depended on.

Ashamed but nonetheless alert, she tapped Choji on the shoulder directing him to a small fire team trying to flank us. Choji wasted no time forcing them to cover giving Naruto some breathing room to advance. Temari and I kept the pressure on the enemies forward.

"Ayako! Action right! Lob another grenade!" Naruto screamed utilizing his new corporal role with some surprising enthusiasm.

"Grenade out!" Three seconds later the boom allowed us to get up and fire again. Naruto's B.A.R. was alive and kicking, felling one defender while wounding another. Before the wounded Soundie could get back up, Naruto swung his rifle at him with a furious roar, knocking him out cold.

"Time to move 3rd! Choji…fire that thing from the hip if you have to! Ino, get your rifle up. It's fightin' time!" I yelled watching Naruto secure the first foothold. We scrambled past dodging the bullets as they smacked against the dirt and concrete. I could feel the chips smacking me in the face, causing tiny superficial cuts that you'd only give a damn about if you were looking in a mirror.

"Flanking fire!" A random soldier cried out to us. As I turned my head that same soldier got clipped in the shoulder and fell clutching it. From the distance, that blond motherfucker, Deidara, was taking potshots from a good distance. With him was his personal retinue that were laying on some good fire.

"Shit! FG42!" Temari screamed as a loud burst came from one and hit the concrete above her.

"FG what?"

"FG42! Paratrooper rifle! Strong gun! We gotta take 'em out now!" As she said that another Water paratrooper fell, a yelp of pain coming from him as he clutched his chest. I exacted immediate payback popping a sniper directly in the forehead. That was one down at least.

"Choji, get your weapon on them now!"

Without delay he and Ino quickly set up from a position I suspected Deidara wouldn't expect. About ten seconds later I got the staccato burst of Choji's MG pounding away at that vantage point, another one of his retinue falling over. When I took a second look, Deidara was gone. It seemed that he has fallen back into one of the buildings.

"Keep firing at those people!" I screamed as they tried to make their escape back into the bunker complex. I switched to the stolen MP40 I had when things got a little too close for comfort. My Springfield couldn't cut it with the enemy this near. Temari kept with her rifle, popping off shots to knock out whatever was harassing Sarutobi and the rest as they prepared to blow open the doors to the bunker complex. I took about another five seconds to watch Nazuka blow them open with a charge that Sarutobi fed him. My get wrenched at the thought of them away from our assistance, from my assistance.

Suddenly a feedback came over the loudspeakers, surprising most of us, Sound included. The voice was maniacal and quite aggressive, obviously so given the current fracas going on.

"INTRUDERS! YOU DARE INTERRUPT MY ART? YOU DARE TRY AND STOP ME FROM EXACTING MY WRATH UPON THE ENEMY? YOU DARE TRY TO TAKE MY PASSION AWAY FROM ME? YOU WILL ALL PAY SOON FOR TRYING TO STEAL MY PRECIOUS ART! SLAUGHTER THEM LIKE THE MONGREL DOGS THEY ARE!"

"Shit…things are about to get sporty." Kankuro mused out loud. Soon enough, a mobile flak truck came zooming in from the edge of the rocket base, spraying heavy caliber fire every which way. Of course, it just had to be aiming in our direction.

"Somebody take that out! Kankuro can you get a shot?"

"Gimme a fuckin' second will ya Temari? AHHH DAMN IT!" He screamed as the shells peppered all around the concrete barricades. "Anyone got a smoke?"

Konohamaru was confused. "Now's not the time…"

"SMOKE GRENADE YOU FUCKIN' MORON!"

"Leave it to me." Ayako clutched one of his grenades and tossed it as far as he could. It did the trick. Kankuro got a bead on the truck before the smoke emerged. He readied his launcher but aimed it rightwards.

"The truck's there!" Naruto yelled pointing into the smoke. "Fire the damn thing already!"

"Wait a second…" Sure enough, the truck had foolishly moved to get into a clearer aiming point, right into Kankuro's trap. "Played like a fiddle! Rocket out!" The projectile screamed towards the undercarriage and slammed underneath. It didn't destroy the gun truck outright but it launched it on its side. Kankuro wasn't one hundred percent pleased but I didn't give a shit.

"Keep pushing! We stay here, we die!" I barked out to my guys. Asano and Toyama had made some progress eking out a small notch to which we could advance. I wasted no time advancing Choji and Ino up while Naruto's team gave them some cover. With our new position, we could get a better vantage point on the soldiers guarding the rocket platforms. If we could get to there, the LT could plant the charges and we could get the heck out of dodge. To be honest, I had figured they'd eventually congregate so fast we'd all be worm food, but apparently they didn't expect to be hit so hard and so quickly especially with half of their forces out looking for us. We were lucky. We were damn lucky.

"Shikamaru! Cover me!" Temari nudged me as she primed her pistol. I obliged her with some harassing bursts of the MP40. Like a bat outta hell she took off firing away. It seemed that was all we were doing, bounding and advancing, bounding and advancing. I just wanted to get the fuck out of here. Meanwhile the flashes inside the bunker complex kept me thinking about Sarutobi and if that gruff sum'bitch was getting himself in harm's way. I felt like he was abandoning me to "test" me like what happened when we attacked Kusagakure. Bastard…

Another explosion erupted from inside the complex. Trying my best not to get popped by some lone rifleman, I looked from the corner of my eye to see an MG42 position erupt in flames. A massive firefight was going on inside. It seemed that Deidara wasn't going down without a scrap. His redheaded colleague was nowhere to be found though. Better that way so Temari wasn't distracted trying to exact revenge.

"Shikamaru! Get us some long range!" Naruto cried out from the din. He and Konohamaru were pinned by some harassing fire. Pulling up I saw three stormtroopers bounding to their position. I had to act fast. Luckily one was too concentrated on Naruto as Naruto himself dove for cover narrowly dodging a hailstorm of lead. A quick pull of the trigger had the man doubling back over some wooden boxes. The other two were a little wiser, spraying some rounds down our way before getting into cover. A bullet tore one of the sleeves of Naruto's shirt, but didn't hit him. He was however pinned.

"Shit!" He screamed out. I watched in shock as a grenade miraculously bounced off of the very concrete he was hiding behind and landed in front of him.

"Naruto! Get down!" I yelled as the thing blew up in front of him. Chunks of wood and stone smacked our bodies but when I took a look I sighed in relief seeing everyone ok.

"Oh he wants to do that does he?!?" Naruto viciously hissed back. "Fine!" He clutched the closest grenade from his belt. "Fire in the hole!" His grenade went off and killed his assailant.

The combat was devolving into a grim and grueling endeavor. We pushed through foot by bloody foot, barely surviving the wave of bullets in our direction.

The PA system emitted feedback again. "YOU DO NOT APPRECIATE MY WORK…MY ART! YOU CANNOT COMPREHEND THE PRIDE I CARRY WITH THE MASTERPIECE OF TERROR AND DESTRUCTION I AND I ALONE CREATED! YOU CANNOT SEE HOW MY ART IS SUCH A BANG, YOU SEE BUT A MERE 'WEAPON.' PRIMITIVE ANIMALS! THE ONLY THING YOU HAVE FOUND IS YOUR MISERABLE DEATH, SO KEEP FIGHTING! YOU WILL ONLY FIND DESPAIR!"

"Somebody shut him the fuck up!" Kankuro yelled through the din. Inside I saw more muzzle flashes and the familiar reports of Sarutobi's Thompson. He was getting closer. Maybe with luck he'll silence that prick once and for all. From the sounds of it, this Deidara certainly had a fetish for explosives. I cringed thinking how desperate and dangerous he just might be and how much danger Sarutobi was really putting himself in.

"Sarutobi's on it Kankuro, just help us get moving all right?" Temari barked back.

"Keep moving! The launching pads are just up ahead!" Naruto said to his portion of 4th squad. I had noticed all this time that the LT had been rather distant from us, as if she had preferred to let us do our own thing. I didn't know whether to appreciate it or snarl that she was bearing the responsibility solely on Naruto and I. Figures you give a woman an officer rank…

An explosion rocked me from my inner thought. Another grenade had gone off in front of us hoping to catch some overzealous soldier. Luckily all we got were minor headaches and one soldier with some cuts. I could feel the dust caking my sweaty face once more. My whole body had already been drenched in sweat and on occasion blood from a superficial wound. I longed for rest, but my mind knew of the situation. Rest meant death. My mind groaned at such labors. How I longed for the fields where I'd sleep for hours instead of the killing fields where death could come at any distance. Damn Sarutobi…how could he leave me in this situation? How could he just go off like that thinking I've got that command ability? I don't want this duty. I don't want it.

"Christ Almighty Shikamaru! Get down!" Temari threw me down where heavy caliber bullets peppered where I had once stood. The impact nearly shattered my previously wounded shoulder. I grimaced at the pain but Temari's snarl had ceased any complaining. "I don't get you sometimes and how dense a supposed brilliant man like you can be."

"Stop worrying about me. Worry about getting to the rockets." I bluntly replied.

"You need someone to watch your back. Might as well be me you lazy ass."

I growled something incoherent and got back up. All this time I had feared that our flank was growing in vulnerability and as I continued to ponder about the Water Airborne, I hadn't even noticed they were covering our flanks after the potshots from Deidara.

"Contact! Two o'clock!" Toyama yelled. I peered over and saw Deidara again with his rifle. Without delay he sprayed a burst in our direction as his retinue fired into the bunker to keep Sarutobi at bay. The bark of the FG42 was booming as the bullets whizzed by. One struck Toyama in the left arm. He screamed as Deidara laughed maniacally.

"Get some fire over there!" As soon as I commanded it, Sugiyama and a couple other sent rounds down that way. Deidara was too far to hit dead on but he ducked behind the wall regardless.

"Kaz!" Sugiyama panicked and rushed to him only to be pinned. "Ahhhhh!"

"Stay down Yuriko! Just…ahhhhh…stay down!" He yelled. "It's not that bad. The…the force knocked me down." Blood ran from his arm but it looks like it missed the bone. He was still in pain nonetheless.

"INO!" I yelled. She had already seen Toyama go down and used Choji's harassing fire to advance. She was jerky in her movements, the shell shock from the battle and her previous albeit temporary mental snap rearing its ugly head.

"Can you fight Kaz?" I asked as Ino rolled the field dressing on him. He winced in pain but managed to speak.

"I'm hurting Shikamaru…I don't think I'd good for much but support fire."

"Then stick to the rear! Cover our advance!"

He nodded and turned to Sugiyama with a smile before ducking low and heading back with Ino. The pain slowed him down significantly but Ino found the strength to guide him along safely.

We had pushed the enemy back even further once Deidara had to flee thanks to a still alive Sarutobi. I could hear his growling and breathed a sigh of relief knowing he was still ok. Soon enough we had reached the other side, but the enemy was hunkered down. Asano was nearly perforated before I yanked him back into cover. Sadly another one of the Water soldiers wasn't so lucky as he tumbled dead over the ledge.

"Fuck! There's just no end to 'em!" Naruto said, yet he bore a grin.

I was less than amused. "Why on Earth are you smiling Naruto?"

"Doesn't mean I don't like a challenge!"

"You are insane Naruto. Stay alive…for Hinata's sake."

"Oh I will. C'mon 4th squad! Let's leg it to the left! 3rd will cover us!"

As Naruto sped off to flank the Sound, Choji dragged himself up to set up the .30 cal. The rest of us did our part to make sure that went unabated. Despite our best efforts he was seriously delayed, giving the enemy more time to prepare. An explosion sent wooden fragments up from the bottom of the ledge.

"RIFLE GRENADE!"

"Take him out!" Temari yelled. I scoped around but found nothing. If I couldn't find that sum'bitch then he'd get another round out and a good chunk of us would be dead. However, a crack of a nearby rifle went off and ten seconds later, no grenade.

Corporal Okubo had moved himself up from the rear. With that smug smile of his he looked at me. "You're welcome Corporal Nara."

We had feigned an advance causing the Soundies to concentrate more fire on us. A few smoke grenades also worked wonders. It had seemed the enemy was too panicked and too tired to properly mount an airtight defense. This is of course not looking a gift horse in the mouth by any means. With all of their fire on us, it gave Naruto the impetus to launch his attack. Ayako and he blazed away with their automatic rifles while another from 4th used her Garand's grenade launcher. It did the trick. The enemy was thrown into disarray and fell back to positions near the launch pads.

"Get down guys! Get down now!" I screamed. "Get to cover as soon as you can! Choji cover their movement! Three-second bursts!"

"On it Shikamaru!" Choji's machine gun roared with life again as Ino directed targets for him to spray at. Again, we capitalized on the enemy's fatigue and seized the outer perimeter of the launch pads.

The speakers screeched with feedback again. "DOGS! FILTHY MONGREL DOGS! YOU RUIN MY BEAUTIFUL WORK! YOU ONLY MOVE CLOSER INTO YOUR GRAVES! STEP IN A LITTLE CLOSER AND…" gunfire and screaming blared over the loudspeakers. "STAY BACK! YOU WON'T TAKE ME AWAY FROM MY ART!"

"JESUS CHRIST HE'S PACKED!" The voice of Nakamura shot out.

"NOT ONE STEP CLOSER…I'LL DO IT! YOU'LL JOIN ME GOING UP IN SMOKE AND FIRE!"

"HOLY SHIT!" Then is was Sarutobi. My heart jumped. "GET THE FUCK BACK!"

"IF YOU WILL TAKE ME AWAY FROM MY BEAUTIES, THEN YOU LEAVE ME NO CHOICE! I LEAVE YOU WITH MY FINAL MASTERPIECE…IT'S A REAL BANG!" The last few seconds were nothing but bits of insane laughter.

"NO YOU WON'T!" Nazuka screamed again followed by sounds of a clear struggle.

"RUN NAZUKA! FOR GOD'S SA…"

Then entire base shook in that moment. It was as if we were next to an erupting volcano. Temari screamed as I hovered myself over her. My ears rang like they had little bells implanted in them. People were screaming but I couldn't hear them. I looked over and saw the very end of the bunker complex erupt in concrete, dust, and debris. My heart jumped again and then sank. Holy shit. That insane asshole Deidara just blew himself up. Asuma…he was caught in that blast wasn't he?

"Holy shit!" Asano yelled in a moment of rare bluntness.

"Sergeant Sarutobi!" Choji screamed at the top of his lungs. My heart and soul wanted to deny that he was caught in the explosion.

"Those bastards!"

"No…no…" I muttered before I screamed. "NO!" The squad was stuck in awe, unsure if we had just lost our leader. I either wanted to break down or charge furiously at the enemy. Before I could do anything however, I felt a hand yank at my collar.

"Snap out of it corporal!" It was the LT. Her look was fierce and driven but mine was just as furious. "If I have learned something from you sergeant is that he appears too stubborn to die. We still have a job to do so stop mucking about and get to it!"

"But…"

"No buts damn it! You don't sit halfway into a mission because your squad leader might be gone."

I bristled at her words but begrudgingly understood. We did indeed have a mission to complete. The Soundies were still reeling from the confusion. "3rd squad, we still have some rockets to destroy! Let's not let Sarutobi die without some payback!"

They cheered as we launched an even more furious assault on the Sound. This time we had the Water amassing their fires with ours. Grenades were lobbed overhead devastating the Sound and sending them even further back.

"There's the first charge point!" The LT screamed. "Sergeant, get on that!"

"Right ma'am!" Two Water soldiers hurriedly ran towards the first platform. The rockets were surreal in size. To think they could cause such devastation and terror. Well, that would no longer be the case. We covered them as best as we could as they packed the explosives on the rocket platform while spinning the wire cord around. According to the LT we had to link these to the four platforms and detonate all at once.

"All set ma'am." The corporal next to the engineer sergeant yelled.

"Right! Move out troopers…to the next pad!"

"So she finally took the initiative to lead huh?" Temari snidely sided to me. I couldn't have agreed more.

"Guys! Look!" Naruto screamed out pointing towards the rubble. While Asano and Sugiyama were covering me, I noticed a hand come out. My heart skipped a beat. It was Mitarashi. She looked beat up and covered in soot, but God damn it all, she was still alive. She had hunkered down amidst the rubble with a couple of Water soldiers and the rest of 4th squad.

"Holy shit! It's Sergeant Mitarashi!" Konohamaru cried out in elation.

"Bitch is tough as nails I'll tell ya." Ayako joined in. If Mitarashi was still alive, then Sarutobi was definitely alive, but where was he?

"Quick guys! We gotta get them outta there!" Naruto sprung into action much to the chagrin of the LT and pushed through the Sound defense in a small pocket weakly guarded. He, Konohamaru, Kankuro, and Ayako ran until they could pull her and their comrades out. It was by some miracle they weren't killed on the spot. They could thank us later.

While 4th squad and the other Water soldiers were busy keeping the Sound at bay from the flank, we had the task of roping up the second pad with explosives.

"Shit! More contacts at our twelve!" Temari said to me.

"Choji! Bring up the gun! This time we're firing right into 'em!" It was dangerous to expose Choji like this, but we had to. The Sound's numbers were thinning but they were still superior.

Choji bore a big grin. "Just what I wanted! Thanks buddy!" I was surprised to see him so enthused. "Kaz! Ino! I'm gonna need some help here!" This time it look less than a minute to prep Choji. By then the Sound had realized they were walking into his line of fire and with an even wider grin he unleashed a scything fire upon them. Ino and Toyama were busy either harassing riflemen or loading ammo for him.

Meanwhile Naruto helped escort the hurt Mitarashi back to our position where it was more secure. I was relieved to see Nakamura with them as he trailed from the rear.

"Nakamura! You're alive!" Sugiyama praised. He looked beat the fuck up though. Like Mitarashi he was covered in soot and hobbling a little bit. "Where's…where's the sergeant?" She took the words right out of my mouth.

"Dunno…ahhhhh!" He grimaced in pain while clutching his left hip. "That crazy sum'bitch. He was strapped…with explosives. He blew himself up. Nazuka…Nazuka tried to stop him."

"Oh God…" Toyama muttered.

"He must've…absorbed some of the blast. Stupid asshole…sergeant told him to run away. I guess…I'm living thanks to him. Don't know about the sarge though."

It was certainly a lot for us to bear. A guy I didn't really know had just done such a heroic and stupid deed, unknowingly saving most of his comrades. Sacrifice…what a troublesome notion.

"Asuma? Asuma's not here?" Mitarashi was puzzled. She looked around, the shock from the blast still dulling her senses. "Where the fuck is he? ASUMA!"

No answer.

"I'm sorry sergeant," I spoke up. I don't know either."

"That bastard…that crazy maniacal bastard Deidara. They're gonna pay if he killed Asuma!" This was a fury that was different from Mitarashi's typical tough girl demeanor. She cared deeply for Asuma. I knew they were close friends so this hit her just as hard. We could only pray he was alive and somewhere within reach of us. The whole lot of us were scared of his fate. We knew Nazuka had perished trying to stop Deidara, but he saved them. He saved Mitarashi and Nakamura. But…Sarutobi…we had hoped to God he survived.

"Well then let's not let his death be in vain! Let's get 'em!" Choji interrupted the somber mood, not even thinking about the sergeant not out of selfishness but out of obligation to the mission and the squad, as he charged the MG once more and sprayed another burst into an enemy position.

I got in the middle of the squad. "He's right. That dumbass saved Mitarashi and the rest and if God is on our side, the sergeant. Let's get these assholes back for what they did!"

Finding some hidden well of energy, the assault doubled in tempo. The stenches of fuel, smoke, and dust were choking our lungs but our wills paid no mind. I set my sights on a sergeant trying to lead an attack on our position. He saw me in the open and knelt to fire forcing me to dive for cover.

"Got you covered." Temari said to me as she rose from the cover and popped the round off. "You were aiming for that sergeant weren't you? Looks like I stole your target. Shoot faster next time eh sport?"

I grumbled at her smug smile but hid my inner grin. "Cocky woman…"

As we were attempting to break the positions around the third pad, the engineers had rigged the second one without a hitch. However, I began to feel incredibly troubled by the lack of Sarutobi. Every passing minute was a passing hope that he was still amongst the living. I didn't lose faith though. Sarutobi was my mentor. He's been through worse…a lot worse…and he's pulled through. The worry screwed with my aim, leaving Temari and Okubo to pick up the slack. I could feel their concern and frustration but I didn't let it get to me. Naruto seemed to be performing admirably as the new corporal of 4th squad. Even Mitarashi was impressed as she quickly took command of the squad. Konohamaru stuck to him like a loyal dog and quickly charged from position to position. Naruto was in his element. Was it the devoted promise to Hinata that kept him going? Was it the sense of self-preservation? What motivated that kid even in the worst of situations?

"INCOMING!" A rocket screeched overhead, missing us by about five feet as it slammed into a concrete slab behind us. The Soundies were getting desperate, using rocket launchers to try to stop us.

"GET DOWN! ANOTHER ONE!" The second rocket came slamming down close to the first launch pad, dangerously close.

"Bloody hell!" Inari yelled. "Those bloody idiots hit one of those and we're all dead!"

"Shoot 'em down!" Obviously the platoon sergeant meant the rocket troopers but we weren't looking for an explanation. We poured fire into where they were coming from. They had gotten behind cover save for one who was hit in the leg and fell over. Her rocket tube slid down the railing and she was pretty much a non-threat from thereon. We didn't bother killing her. Choji poured more machine gun fire into the rocket troopers but got nothing.

"Shit! I'm almost out Shikamaru!"

"Leave it to us then! Pin the rest of the enemy while 4th gets the engineers to the third pad!"

"You heard 'im 4th!" Naruto cheered. "Let's to it! Cover us Shikamaru! It'll be like Kusa all over again."

I chuckled nervously. "Yeah…just like Kusa." He nodded and turned back to the attack. "_Just like Kusa, son of a bitch. Sarutobi…where are you? Where are you damn it?!?_"


	41. Chapter 41

I guess when I was at Kusa…it was still a pain in the ass…but I had the platoon with me. When I was in Kusa, I had this funny feeling that I still knew Sarutobi was alive and if I didn't wind up with five bullets in me, he'd eventually find me. But here in this forsaken place, with that maniac blowing himself up, I'm not so sure, and it was that lack of confidence that kept my heart lodged in my throat.

It takes a man like me some time to sit down and formulate a strategy. Hell I'd be a better general than a grunt where I'm not in the shit thinking on the fly. I'm smart…but I'll take an Asuma Sarutobi that just got put in a mess than me with an easier situation.

"Hey!" I heard a voice but was too wrapped in myself to really turn and see.

"_Damn it Asuma…where are you?!?_" I painfully asked to myself, obviously not knowing the answer.

A hard slap came upside my head, the pain shooting through my nerves like a ball out of a cannon. "Are you getting dense on me again? Your timing is beyond terrible!" That woman again. "Stop thinking about…" A bullet scraped the concrete above her head.

"Oh shit!" Kankuro yelled.

"God damn it!" Temair popped a round off before turning to me again. "Knock it off about your sergeant Shikamaru! He's probably still alive but in the mean time…keep us alive got it?!?"

I simply nodded. Now wasn't the time for pithy remarks.

The fires the Soundies were laying were fierce. Naruto's advancement was halted as Konohamaru fell from a stray bullet to the edge of his arm. It looked like it hurt but it was more superficial. Naruto pulled him behind cover and kept the rest of 4th safe. Mitarashi kept up her cursing as if it was some sort of personal therapy seeing how she survived that titanic explosion and that Sarutobi was MIA. I wish I had that kind of stress release, but that wasn't my style. It was loud, obnoxious, and would probably shoot her blood pressure up to the heavens. Talk about an annoyance.

"Fire from the left!" Ino yelled. Choji fired a stream over our heads towards a guard tower. I added some firepower perforating the place until no movement was left.

"Ah nuts to this! I'll fix this shit!" It had seemed Kankuro had enough with the guard tower fire not to state the obvious. He readied his launcher behind one of the larger walls that wasn't blown out by all the big guns. Some guards noticed him and tried to pepper him with fire but Temari almost instinctively helped her brother with a shot right to one of their heads.

"A little more help covering me?!?"

"Shut up fat ass!" Temari hissed back. "Take what you can get with your crazy ass idea."

Kankuro mumbled as he tweaked his launcher towards one of the other guard towers. Choji caught notice and sent another suppressive fire down way. "Blast area clear! Firing!" The rocket screamed upwards, higher than the tower but Kankuro did so purposely given good ol' gravity. The Soundies saw it coming, but rather than brace for impact they did the smart thing and bailed. The rocket slammed right into it and showered the entire area with splinters of wood, concrete, and hot metal.

"Hot damn! Nice shooting bro!" Her mood switched from agitation to praise so quickly. Odd woman she was.

"All in a day's work."

"Keep pushing troopers!" The LT rang behind while firing from her revolver. "We're almost at the third platform!"

Indeed we were. However these were slightly different. With the first and second, they were left bare but the third and fourth presented a much scarier thing. Rockets…those huge rockets, and they were positioned to go, ready for launch. Seeing how the creator of these abominations had detonated himself and taken out a chunk of the complex, we were lucky they weren't primed to launch. But I was aghast by the sheer terror the sight of them produced. It was these things that launched all over the lands. These things slammed into Konoha and killed the Hokage and Ino's parents.

Ino saw them and was as still as a rock. I bet inside she was filled with fear and anger towards the metal monstrosities. She of all people should've been the most motivated to take these down, get her revenge for what they did to her parents.

"Holy mother…look at the size of 'em!" Inari commented aloud.

"Yeah, no bloody shit. How can people make such things?"

"They're enormous! No wonder they did that much damage to the islands!"

"Bloody bastards."

The platoon sergeant grunted aloud. "All right troopers, that's enough of the bloody commentary! Remember we're here to take those things down! Have you got the charges ready corporal?" He signaled a nearby corporal.

"All set sergeant!"

"Good. Leafers, cover us while we advance to the next launching pad!"

"You heard 'im fellas! Keep the pressure on them!" Choji yelled enthusiastically spraying his machine gun. "That's right you dicks! Get some!"

"Choji! You're almost out!" Ino tried to yell above the gunfire. He seemed not to notice but I certainly did watching them from behind me. "CHOJI!"

"What?"

"You're almost out! I've got nothing left!"

"Wha…?" He looked over to the feeding entrance and saw only twenty bullets left. "Shit!"

Toyama stepped up to the plate. "Go find something Choji! I'll cover."

Choji was hesitant. I decided to butt in. "Choji! Get moving and find another machine gun. Damn Soundies must have something!"

He sunk his head low as a couple bullets flew overhead but was immediately back up with a thumbs up to me. "You got it buddy! Ino…Toyama…cover me." He backpedaled making sure he wasn't spotted by any riflemen and ran towards what he thought was the nearest MG.

Meanwhile my attention was focused elsewhere covering the Water engineers and a still struggling 4th squad. So far they were more in the thick of it than I was. Naruto was sheltering the wounded Konohamaru while Private Kiyoshi assisted Naruto in covering for him.

Naruto…God bless the kid for his determination. With Mitarashi more stressed and furious than usual, he was holding his broken squad together nicely despite the limited assistance that my squad could provide. In the back of my mind I knew he'd fit the bill of corporal better than me even if he wasn't the brightest crayon in the box. I knew there was the mission, but as I thought about it before the actual offensive, protecting him was just as important as protecting Choji, Ino, and my squad. He made a promise to that woman, to Hinata. I'd be a shitty friend if I were to allow him to go it alone against the Sound. I never told him, but I'd do whatever it took to ensure he got back to the Grass Nation safe and sound. After all, it was me and only me that he revealed his plans to.

"Third launch pad is wired to blow ma'am!"

The LT bore an elated grin. "Brilliant! We've only got one more of these blasted things to go! Keep fighting them troopers! They'll know of our wrath soon enough!" It was funny to listen to her try and motivate but to her credit she was amping up several of the soldiers including that meek girl she had spoken to before.

"Takigawa!"

The girl was startled by the voice of the platoon sergeant. "S-Sergeant?"

"Get a fire team over to their garage and get us some trucks you got it?"

She looked over to the semi-ruined motor pool area where some abandoned trucks and cars stood. The coast seemed to be clear. "R-right sergeant."

"I'll go with 'er, sergeant." Inari slapped the girl on the shoulder. Having a man like Inari looking out for her seemed to boost her confidence. "C'mon lads. Let's go loot us some trucks! Easy money!"

Three other soldiers, probably from the Wave Nation or somewhere nearby, cheered as they ran off with Inari, the young trooper, and the co-pilot of the glider who was amazingly still alive after all that we have endured, towards the motor pool. I turned to give more supporting fire to Naruto as gunfire rang behind me, telling me Inari was already meeting a little resistance. We certainly hoped they would get it done.

Another Water soldier fell before us, popped right in the chest from a well-placed rifle round.

"Damn it! Oshii's down!"

"Grab his Bren! We need that damn fire support!" One of the other soldiers said. The second one stupidly ventured out to grab it and was picked off almost immediately by another MG42. His neck and shoulder perforated by bullets zipping by. He had the look of utter surprise on his face before his eyes closed and his body slammed against the concrete and ground.

"Shit! They've got another machine gun!" Toyama yelled ducking behind cover with Ino.

"Where the hell are you Choji?" I asked aloud.

Temari added to the misfortune. "I can't get a clear shot!" Without some heavy weaponry we were in a tight spot. To make matters worse, the Sound seemed to have gained some morale back and tried to push us out of the third launch pad area while blockading the last one.

"Crap…double crap." Nakamura grumbled.

We could hear the Sound barking orders to advance. Instead of charging right into the fray, they were getting our heads low so that we couldn't get shots off. If we hit one of them, it was either a lucky kill or just a wound. Without Choji we were severely weakened…but where the hell was he?

"GRENADES!" I saw the blasted sticks fly over my head. One just hit the ground as it detonated, the concussion wave making my head spin. I realized if those grenades didn't kill us they'd stun us long enough for the Sound to charge.

"INCOMING TROOPS!" The platoon sergeant screamed as loud as he could to the disoriented troopers, my squad included. Naruto couldn't do much being pinned so heavily and with five extra soldiers battling in the motor pool and now here, we were in deep trouble. "Get into positions damn it! We're going to push them back no matter how hard th…"

"Sergeant!"

A bullet ripped through his left side and forced him to the ground. We feared him dead and then our command structure leveled barring the LT. Luckily he was still able to move and the medics got to him quickly, two other Water soldiers having enough bearing to cover for them but it wasn't doing much. The rest of us were too out of it. Asano could barely get up and Temari couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. We heard their footsteps getting closer. Ino tried to get a shot off and dropped one of the Sound, the yell of the woman sign enough that she was dead, but it was too little, too late. They were coming in with bayonets and already got the drop on one Water trooper too far away from us. He went down in seconds.

"God damn it where did they come from?" The LT furiously bellowed while firing from her revolver, killing another assailant. The sight of her sergeant seriously wounded set her into a panic. It set us all into a panic. Bullets started smacking all around me and the others. One nearly hit Temari in the arm as it was exposed.

"Temari!" I yelled.

"I'm fine! I'm fine! I'm a big girl."

"You weren't careful!"

"Well shit Shikamaru, we're in a fuckin' tight spot regardless wouldn't you say?!?"

"Fuckin' A!" Kankuro cursed out as he fell to one knee from shrapnel.

"CHOJI! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?" Ino cried out. Unbeknownst to she and Toyama, three Soundies had gotten by us and charged right at them.

"INO! LOOK OUT!" I yelled popping a round off and killing one of them as he fell flat on his stomach, but I couldn't reload in time for the others.

"CHOJI!" She screamed bracing for the end.

Then a sound emerged, a frightening sound of ripping canvas, a sound most Leaf soldiers feared. However, while we ducked immediately from it, the yelps of pain that followed came from the Soundies.

"What the hell?"

"INO!" It was Choji. He came back all right and he came back armed to the teeth. "Ino, I'm coming!" He took off towards her, his left hand holding an ammo tin and shouldering a satchel and in his right hand that weapon, that fearsome MG42.

"Holy dog shit…Choji you bastard!" I grinned ear to ear.

"Told you I'd be ba…oh shit!" A flurry of lead came screaming at him, forcing him to hit the dirt. There would be no glorious entrance for him. This ain't no movie. "Those assholes!"

"Choji!" Ino could barely see him ducking behind the broken slabs of concrete for cover. His intervention had halted the Sound advance for only but a short while, but it the reprieve was exactly what we had hoped for.

The Soundies were focusing all their fire on him now since he had the loudest bark. We had to do something to free him. With his firepower we could push through again. "3rd squad! Get a support fire going so our gunner can get back on his feet!"

Ino had started, albeit shakily, to get herself on the offensive expending one of her Garand magazines. Sugiyama took off from Ino's initiative and chucked a Sound grenade she pilfered from the soldiers Choji wasted. It seemed to do the trick as the Sound counterattack was slowing.

I wasted no time getting into command mode again. "Good work private! 3rd squad, suppress and use your grenades!"

"Ain't got no fuckin' grenades left!" Toyama whined.

"Then do what she did and grab the stick ones!"

The pause also seemed to give Naruto and 4th squad a little impetus to charge once more. The fourth launch pad was within sight. We were so close. Those out of us with a personal vendetta could taste it that I could see. The Sound became distracted trying to hold Naruto and the rest off. That was our chance to take the initiative once more.

"Choji! Get your gun back up here!" I barked. Popping his head up cautiously he noticed there wasn't nearly as much fire on him. "We've got ya covered."

"On my way buddy!" He poked his head out once more and hurried as fast as humanly possible given what he was carried, the _clank clank clank_ of the ammunition smacking his gun and the tin loud enough for everyone to hear. That wasn't a good thing necessarily. The occasional ping of a rifle smack the concrete and metal around him, leaving my heart pounding that one of those would successfully hit its mark. It was nigh impossible to trace the shooters given the chaos around us.

"Damn it. 3rd squad, fire into them! Keep their heads down!" I repeated. It was freaking imperative that Choji get back up and firing away. We couldn't delay them any further.

"I got an idea!" He yelled from the back. Not knowing what in God's name he was planning I could only focus in front of me and put my trust in him. Ten seconds later that fierce barking of his MG42 went off but judging by the rounds they didn't go into anyone or anything significant. However, it scared the Sound enough to back off. "Did I hit anything?"

"No you didn't hit shit! Get up here!"

"We've got you covered Choji!" Ino yelled firing another clip from her Garand. The shots were timed and concentrated, but she wasn't exactly the sharpshooter me and Temari were. We had our own issues trying to pick off the targets while the others kept them suppressed. Choji was getting close, right up to Temari and I. Behind him were Ino and Toyama, Toyama struggling to stay balanced with that nasty wound of his. He'd live but he'd be pretty mission incapable.

"C'mon pal…almost there." I signaled to Choji. The Water soldiers and 4th squad finally managed to amass their fires on the Sound, felling a few while suppressing the rest of them again. "Finally!

He smiled. "Thanks buddy. I'll have this bad boy barking in no time. I always wanted to test one of these suckers out."

"Great…now's your chance." I replied lacking enthusiasm.

Choji fumbled around trying to get everything set up, but then Ino rushed in. Toyama also tried to lend a hand but Ino pushed away.

"Help Shikamaru, Kaz. I've got this one."

Choji was surprised. "Ino…"

Ino couldn't get a smile out but we got the message. "I'm your assistant…am I not? Sarutobi told me that I was helping you no matter what." Choji cracked another smile out of the surprised face of his only to be answered by a light slap to his arm by her. "Oh come on…don't smile at me like that you big oaf. Just get to shooting."

"R-right…"

The familiar slap of the feed tray slammed down and I knew right aside me that Choji was ready to get us back on the offensive.

"Let 'em have it Choji!"

Oh indeed he did let them have it. That roar of the MG42 rang through my ears like a band saw through wood. But Choji was having a blast. Screaming at the top of his lungs he sprayed in every which way while Ino in a rare moment of focus strove to keep him directed. With our morale restored somewhat we halted the advance entirely and stubbornly pushed through, Choji keeping the fire support up while on the move. It was amazing to see him walk and fire that thing from the hip but if there was anyone who could do it with that kind of muscle, it was my best friend.

"They're backing down! Get to the last pad and we can bloody go home!" One of the other Water sergeants barked to her men. With a redoubling of effort, we pushed through right to where the final launch pad was in sight, that ghastly rocket steaming like it was ready to go off. We lost another soldier but we still had enough muscle to barge right in. Our morale was increasing knowing we were almost done with this God-forsaken mission, but not all was well with everyone. The platoon sergeant looked a little worse for wear despite his stubbornness, volume of voice, and continuous fire support and command. Without Sarutobi, our own forces had to rely on him and Mitarashi as the NCO linchpins. Like one massive wave of men and guns we swept through the corners of the rocket base be it rubble or standing walls. Two more soldiers were killed through. One got too ambitious and ran across a wall…Sound bastard was just waiting as he was peppered with about ten rounds. Another one caught the blast wave of a stick grenade and was flown back ten feet…died before he even hit the ground. There was no stopping for them though. If we stopped we'd be in the same situation all over again. However, the final launch pad was only several hundred yards away. Much to our chagrin, the Sound knew that and got into defensive positions again.

"Damn it…do we really gotta play this dislodge shit again?" I moaned aloud.

Temari wasn't amused. "Ah maybe they should just roll out a carpet for us and let us blow this last one up just for laughs. That sounds more fitting, right?"

"Sarcasm not appreciated!" I retorted sitting behind cover as bullets chipped around me.

"Idiocy not needed!" She snarled right back. Still behind cover she hurled a grenade trying to wither down the defensive fires. It didn't seem to do much. It was a matter of who could paste their target faster. When Temari and I got the chance we downed two more Soundies trying to outflank us.

"It's like they're endless!" Nakamura yelled.

"Just keep firing at them private. We'll get 'em soon enough." I tried to give him some sort of motivation to keep on pressing, but the situation was getting mired quickly.

"I got a juicy one in my sights Shikamaru!" Temari announced like she was a fucking news anchor. "Say your prayers suck…er…" She froze as I looked up to my left while I sat in cover.

"Temari?"

"Cover me Shikamaru."

"What're you tal…"

"Just cover me damn it!"

"You're not leaving this spot do you understand Temari?"

"Shut the fuck up! You and your squad cover me!" Before I could grab and restrain her, she took off running towards a jutting wall. I couldn't see what she was going for until I used my scope. Then and only then did I learn what she got so hung up over again. It was that Suna traitor. It looked like he was stuck but trying to make a break for it since Deidara had about an hour or so ago joined the choir invisible. Why did that stupid guy have to show up? So troublesome.

"Oh dear Lord no…TEMARI!" I screamed but to no avail as she sped off again. "Ah fuck…3rd squad gimme some fucking cover! I'm going in after Temari!"

Kankuro must've heard me and/or Temari. "The fuck? TEMARI! Temari what're ya doin'?" From the corner of my eye he sprinted and then slid into cover again. He had no idea what was going on but seeing his older sister run right into fire like that set several alarms off in his head. I didn't blame him.

"Shikamaru! Shikamaru what is she doing?!?"

"God damn it I told her not to but she took off after…"

"After who?"

"After that son of a bitch Suna guy you and she are so obsessed over!"

Now you'd think that given the circumstances he'd not care and just try to rescue his sister out of trouble. Alas, that wasn't the case. Instead his eyes bore the same look Temari's did. "You fuckin' kidding me here?"

I glared at him. "Does it look like it?"

"Oh God…TEMARI!" Finding a moment of respite from the bullets, he sped off towards a section of rubble off to the side, where Temari ran off to.

I closed my eyes as he ran past me, Kankuro obviously expecting me to be right behind him. "Why? Why do these things always happen to me?" I whined to myself opening them and following reluctantly. Charging through the ruined passageways I could hear the gunfire ahead of me. Stray bullets, most likely from Sasori, whizzed by either past or in front of me, obviously missing his pursuers. That's just what I wanted to run into though, no really.

"Temari!" I cried out but got no response. I could hear her yelling but it was indistinguishable as I could only imagine it was her venting her rage on the traitor. "Temari! Wait up for me damn it! TEMARI! Ughhhh…illogical woman!" I snarled to myself dodging stray bullets and keeping low from the explosions around me. The firefight was getting more intense outside and I had no clue whether my buddies were in the shit again or not. Where the hell was Sarutobi when I needed him?

"Kankuro! He's over here!" I heard her scream. "He's not gonna get away!"

A shot rang out, but I had no idea from whom. "Got 'im sis! Pin 'im down! Don't let him escape." Temari's scream flowed through the passageway. My heart pounded with apprehension as I got closer to their voices, cursing and threatening the traitor Sasori. I stumbled around the debris as my lungs felt ready to burst. "Tem-Temari!" I cried.

"Shikamaru! Over here!"

When I turned the corner there they were, triumphant but seething with rage. Kankuro was laying in a couple blows on Sasori while Temari turned to me with an exhausted grin. "We…we got the bastard!"

Sasori laid there, Kankuro's grip right at his collar. He had a mixed look of fear and revulsion towards his once fellow Suna citizens. His face and lower leg bloodied, it had seemed the two siblings had some fun with him before I finally got there.

"I say we kill him right here, right now!"

"No Kankuro…we take him with us. I wanna relish this a little bit."

I was taken aback slightly by their sudden change in attitude, but reflecting upon what Temari told me, I regrettably understood, but that didn't abate my frustration towards the two. "Guys…what the fuck are you doing chasing him like this?"

"We couldn't let him get away! I saw the sniveling shit try to escape with my own two eyes!"

"And that Temari…is why you and Kankuro nearly got yourselves killed, for a vendetta?!? What happened to the mission?"

"The mission? Shit…!" Temari started laughing as did Kankuro who slugged Sasori across the face one more time for shits. "My family and people suffer at the hands of people like Sasori and all you care about is the mission?"

"I'm a soldier…that's what I do! I know you have your vengeance to seek but you do not abandon the squad like that!"

"Yet you followed me Shikamaru…the ersatz squad leader followed me."

"I didn't want to see you hurt over something so…"

"Stupid? You have no idea." Kankuro snarled.

"Shut it bro. Shikamaru, you should've stayed with the squad and trusted me."

"How could I trust you when you just up and left me like that? Maybe it didn't occur to you that I didn't want you killed because…"

Just then I heard footsteps and behind us were three Sound troopers armed and ready to kill us all in one go. Their weapons readied and all Temari, Kankuro, and I could do was turn in horror. Damn it. Stupid woman and her vendetta…got us all killed.

"Oh shi…" Kankuro muttered before a burst of gunfire ripped into the Sound soldiers, the three of them collapsing but too much dust and smoke to see through them.

"Ino? Kaz? Naruto?"

A gruff and fatigued voice emerged through the din. "Nara…God damn it corporal."

I was in disbelief. "No way…"

Holy hell. It was him. Sure he looked bloodied and caked in dirt, but God damn it, it was him!

"S'matter Nara? Think you're seein' a ghost?"

Temari and Kankuro were just as shocked, Kankuro almost letting go of Sasori.

"Asu…s-s-sergeant." It was Sarutobi. He was alive. "You…you're…"

"Not dead? Yeah…I know." His tone wasn't exactly the peppiest but no one expected that. "I don't know how God didn't take me…but…it might've been…"

"Nazuka."

"He fought with that maniac before the explosion. He must've absorbed some of the blast. I was buried in rubble but I heard you guys. I heard you Nara. I knew I had to claw my way out just to get you outta this." His words were touching but I dared not show emotion.

He turned his attention to the Sand Siblings. "You two…what the fuck is this? You don't run off from the squads."

Kankuro tried to explain. "But…"

"But nothing. Grab that little bastard and let's get the fuck outta here. You put my soldiers in harm's way by getting your little slice of vengeance again and regardless if Nara has the hots for you or not Temari, I will make you rue the day you and your brother were born."

They were silent. Sasori was out cold from Kankuro's blows so he had to lug him along, dropping some extra cargo just to handle the weight.

"Sergeant…are you ok?"

He seemed to understand my genuine concern. "I'm hurtin' Nara. My body's aching all over and I've been better, but don't worry. I ain't dyin' on ya. We gotta get back to the squad. What's the situation?" His breathing was heavier than usual and he on occasion held his side and ribs, doubtless from the bruising and bashing he took after Deidara's explosion. "Ya got a light?"

I was a little surprised but without hesitation I fumbled around in my pockets. In there I had my lighter which I got back in the outskirts of Konoha. Meanwhile Sarutobi already had an unlit cig in his mouth and I graciously lit it.

"Ahhhhhhh…" He let out a rather relaxed sigh. "Thanks, Nara."

"You sure you should be smoking like that sergeant?"

"I've been through worse. Now tell me…what's goin' on?"

"We're fightin' for the fourth launch pad. We've taken some more losses and we're down to near twenty-five or thirty. The LT's still alive as is their platoon sergeant, but he took a nasty shot. Don't know if he'll live through this."

"Shit. What about Mitarashi?"

"Alive and kicking."

He chuckled. "Ahhh Anko…stubborn lil' bitch. C'mon…let's move it!"

We rushed back into the battle where Ino and Choji were trying desperately to spot targets. Ino turned and nearly fell on her ass in surprise, her eyes wide with shock.

"S-S-S-Sergeant…"

"I told Nara already…I'm no fuckin' ghost."

"Oh my God…"

"Akimichi turn the fuck around and get to firing. We need your MG going you got that?"

Choji nodded nervously. "Holy shit…"

Soon everyone else had noticed Sarutobi immediately taking command and firing away at the Sound. At first it was sheer disbelief but with his unexpected emergence, morale skyrocketed. Kankuro had gone to a more secure area in the rear to guard Sasori while Temari stayed with me. I quite frankly wasn't in the mood for tactical discussion with her granted what had just happened and Sarutobi's harsh words.

"ASUMA!" The fierce female voice rang out across the way. "ASUMA YOU'RE ALIVE! HOT FUCKING DAMN!"

Sarutobi turned to 4th squad and grinned confidently, 4th squad unaware of the physical damage he took. "HA! You thought that'd get the likes of me?"

Mitarashi was ecstatic and further pushed into the Sound with renewed morale. It was amazing to think that Asuma mattered that much to her. Such was the power of friendship I suppose…I mean I knew they were never lovers since Asuma always told me about his lady back home. It had seemed in my absence that we were just a hair's reach from the fourth launch pad. The engineers were desperately trying to get there, one of them sadly cut down as he ambitiously laid one of the charges. We had to get the wires across though.

"Damn Soundies! Seems like they don't wanna give this shit up huh?" Asuma cursed.

"Whatever the case may be…it looks like the Water guys are trying other methods."

"Well pop some smoke, cover their movement!" Nakamura and I hurled smoke grenades as close to the Sound positions as possible. "Good…now Akimichi lay down a base of fire…there!" He pointed in a general direction where the fires were coming from. Choji obliged firing up the MG42 once more. "Now let's wait for what 4th squad can do."

Sure enough, Mitarashi advanced with Naruto and Konohamaru harassing the enemy with submachine gun fires. It kept the Sound heads down and for those who weren't as threatened, turned their fires to them.

"Nara, Nakamura, Asano…on me! The rest of you cover!" Sarutobi and I had noticed a small pocket that was no longer covered by the Sound. Gathering some last-minute strength, we jumped over the cover and ran right into it. Asano and Sarutobi had taken down two Soundies while running while I made sure Nakamura got over in time. "Prime grenades!"

All four of us had them in hand. Mine was my last one so I had to make it count. "I hope you know what you're doing sergeant."

"Well if we're dead that'll settle it, huh?" You had to hate and admire his laconic wit. "Throw!" In three-second intervals we hurled our explosives over toward the Sound positions. Mine had bounced off and landed behind a position of three Soundies, merely stunning them. However, Asano and Nakamura were more successful sending a couple flying backwards and a heavy support position wrecked from the blast. Sarutobi took out another two with his. Successfully stunning the enemy, he and Nakamura rushed in and finished off the others.

"WE'RE CLEAR! RIG IT AND BLOW THIS SHIT UP!" Obviously we weren't clear but we had bought ourselves a precious minute or two. The engineers took full advantage and set the charges.

"Ma'am! We're clear! Let's leg it!"

"Right! You heard them! All troops…get to the motor pool! Break contact!"

And leg it we did. It seemed all was going well and we were going to get the hell outta here before shit really went down, however a couple loud roars to our left got us all nerved up.

"We've got trucks inbound!"

The LT scanned the approaching vehicles and then waved to them as they waved back. "Hold your fire! It's our troopers!"

It seemed that Corporal Inari and that young trooper girl were successful, unfortunately the party one short of when they left. The girl, Takigawa, emerged from the lead truck.

"Ma'am…we hot rigged two of these. They were the only ones unharmed."

The woman smiled with joy. "Bloody hell private…you'll be hearing from the boards when this is all said and done."

"Well let's not be wastin' time! Get on the damn things!" Inari yelled out to everyone.

"You heard 'im troops, get the fuck on!" Mitarashi made no room for jaw-jacking and got Private Miyoshi up. Kankuro had also hauled himself up with Sasori, surprising the sergeant. "Who the fuck is this?"

Asuma dismissed it with a wave of the hand. "Never mind that Anko, we're crunched for time. Get on everyone!"

The wounded were first, Ino and the other medics helping them up while Choji soon followed, then Inari, the co-pilot, and several others. That Water platoon sergeant looked a little worse for wear, but he continued to dismiss the calls of concern as the medics still patched him up. Everyone below provided covering fire because the Soundies were certainly not out. It took us a few minutes but by God we were on. Signaling the drivers we were almost ready to go and blow this place. The LT proudly carried the plunger as we passed the first pad.

"This one's for the Mizukage, Sound bastards." A firm push and we all expected the earth-shattering boom a few second later…but…nothing.

"What the hell?"

"Why isn't it working?!?" The LT repeatedly pressed down on it but nothing happened.

"The wires! One detached!" An engineer pointed this grievous error out towards the first launch pad. These were meant to blow in a chain reaction so if the first didn't blow, the others would also survive.

"God damn it! Stop the truck!" She leapt over the side and dodged the enemy fire, dead set on getting to the detonation wires.

"Is she insane?" Mitarashi yelled. No one, not even the platoon sergeant, had made a significant effort to get out and stop her. Instead, they simply covered for her. I reluctantly did the same. She was only yards away from the launch pad, furiously fingering her way through the wires and trying to sort it all out.

"Keep covering her!" The platoon sergeant weakly yelled. Our chorus of fires had stopped the Sound but we wouldn't last forever. She was still desperately trying to get the connections from the wires into the explosives. Another minute passed followed by another, but then she turned around excitedly.

"I've got 'em! We're wired! We can blow it n…"

There was a slight silence before the explosion, followed by a sudden onslaught to the eardrums. Right before our eyes the first launch pad erupted in flame, lighting the night sky with orange, red, and white. The LT was completely obliterated. My heart jumped to my throat.

"HOLY SHIT! LT!" Sarutobi screamed. Everyone else who wasn't knocked down from the blast stood there aghast. "Shrapnel! Get down!"

Hot metal and concrete game screaming down on us, peppering the trucks and unfortunately some of us. Our thicker blouses handled most of the shrapnel but that didn't mean some of us weren't wounded. We were lucky that we were such a distance though because if closer a good chunk of us would've ended up like the LT.

"Oh God…bloody thing must've detonated prematurely!" One of the engineers cried out. "The second the wires reconnected it primed the bloody things!"

"MA'AM!" Takigawa was devastated as she tried to hop off after her but Sarutobi stopped her.

"Stay here private…there's nothing left of her."

"But sergeant!"

"But nothing! We gotta get outta here! Get the drivers to move…now!" The engines roared and we were taking off. The platoon sergeant was starting to bleed again, the shrapnel causing more superficial wounds. The second pad had then erupted in a ball of fire. Thirty seconds later the third one did, the rocket detonating from the satchel charges and shaking our bones to the core. Our trucks could barely hold on the gravel paths as we struggled to get out the main gate. The Soundies were reeling as the explosions caused a massive chain reaction of destruction all over the camp as we made our escape.

"There! There's the gate!" Choji pointed out. Everyone else was either too preoccupied thinking about the escape or firing to keep the Sound off of us to really give him a response.

"We're almost outta here!"

I was expecting the minute we hit that gate, that some Sound tank or ambush would come and tear us to pieces. I mean, every fucking living thing had heard us for the past thirty plus minutes, so we'd be expecting some nasty reinforcements anytime and anywhere.

"_Almost…almost…_" My grip on my rifle tightened. I always had this funny feeling of bad things happening. I mean they already happened to me and my friends in spades, so I no longer became surprised at shit storms. They became more a nuisance than an absolute terror. In the back of my mind though, I could only think of that LT. She was so dead set on this mission and the outright success of it that she had enabled it to finish, but tragically at the cost of her own. The rocket base was in ruins, Deidara was dead, the Suna traitor was captured, but we lost almost half our task force taking it, Nazuka included. As I snapped myself out of my slightly reflective mood, I noticed that we were out. We were on the road and heading to wherever the hell this road took us.

"We made it…we made it!" Toyama was elated as Sugiyama smiled and gripped his forearm. Behind us the rocket base was still blazing with the intense fires of the explosives, rockets, and all the fuel lying about. The acrid odor of burning oil filled the air even as we sped away from the chaotic ruins.

"How's the sergeant?" Inari asked looking straight at the medic who was still trying to care for the platoon sergeant. The medic turned to the side and grimaced. Inari knew that look rather well and cursed in his native dialect, some gibberish I couldn't make out.

"Ssssss…Sergeant…Sarutobi…" The platoon sergeant hissed out, blood was coming from his mouth as that wound he got must've started to really take its toll on him.

Sarutobi turned to him. "Hey buddy, we're out now. The mission was a success. We got the bastards."

"What I…wanted to hear." The man smiled. "Good…damn shame about the…LT. She was…a fine leader."

He nodded back. "That she was."

"You Leafers…I mis…misjudged you. I thought…you were all some rabble. I was wrong."

"Hey man, just get to resting. You're hit pretty badly."

"Yes…I do know that. You are…a fine sergeant…you…"

"Ha. I'll remember that." He turned to me and the squad. "All right 3rd, we're not quite out of the woods yet. With the LT gone, we're at a little worse for wear…"

He continued babbling about the situation but I was too tired to care at this moment. I looked at Temari and then at Sasori who still was unconscious. The look between the two of us was of confusion and discontent. I was pissed at her for nearly getting herself killed and also doing her own thing for the sake of personal vengeance. I'd have preferred just shooting the guy or leaving him to the explosions but Temari and Kankuro wanted their own justice, something I'd have to talk to them about.

"…so with that we've gotta rely on the platoon sergeant. He'll more than likely know where our extraction points are so that we can get the fuck outta this hellhole! Am I right there sergeant?"

The man's eyes were closed and he didn't respond.

"Sergeant?" Sarutobi's eyed opened with apprehension. "Sergeant?" His mind fighting his body's urge, he put two fingers by the sergeant's throat. As he bit his lower lip, I could tell, that the man had finally succumbed to his wound.

"Oh God…" One of the surviving Water troopers mournfully muttered. The co-pilot, already shaken up, groaned in frustration and sudden grief.

"Shit…" I muttered. Temari must've felt the same way hearing the same cursing out of her lips. We had lost another one, another soldier who was vital for getting us out of here.

Sarutobi, already banged up from the explosion just a little while ago, was for the first time that I've seen it, in disbelief. As the bumps in the road shoved us all around, he just sat there looking at the newly deceased NCO. The Water forces were now without leadership, both their lieutenant and platoon sergeant dead from this mission. He turned to us, with nervous eyes, yet said nothing. How could he? All eyes, Leaf, Sand, and Water, were on him and he knew it. He was now the highest-ranking soldier amongst the task force, a responsibility the weight of this very truck laid upon his shoulders now and there wasn't much he could do about it now.

"Sergeant Sarutobi," Inari spoke up on behalf of his fellow troopers, "so…what do we do now?"


	42. Chapter 42

"What do we do now, sergeant? What are we gonna do?" He repeated himself to our tired and somewhat puzzled squad leader. It wasn't like he was making some sort of bold challenge, but here he was acting as a representative of our broken task force, whittled down to about sixty to sixty-five percent strength. The trucks zoomed through the forest trails, the headlights dimmed as to not reveal ourselves. No sense giving yourself away like a proud asshole after the hell you've just put yourself through. No one else had uttered a word. We were either too tired, too scared, or just finding absolutely no justification whatsoever to say anything. Our leading officer just blew up a half-hour ago and our ranking sergeant bled out ten minutes afterwards. Half the soldiers were scared shitless. The other half were gripping onto what little energy they had life. Even Naruto looked like a husk of his former, overconfident self. Ino danced in and out of her already fragile mental state, only the bear grip of Choji keeping her from losing it, again. Temari and Kankuro cursed under their breath at their POW and Suna traitor lay on his stomach unconscious after the beating they gave him. It made me wonder. If this is what a victory is considered, please spare me of what defeat would look like.

"Asuma…he asked you a question." Sergeant Mitarashi spoke up. I figured if anyone would follow through in the inquiry, it'd be her and rightfully so. "Asuma? Yo!"

"I heard you Anko…I heard you." He ran his dingy hands through his hair, coating another layer of dust and grime into it, as if he even cared in the first place. I guess I shouldn't judge consider how I look like a train wreck along with the others. After a long and purposeful sigh, he looked towards Inari and Sergeant Mitarashi. "We keep moving. We don't stop until these things are run dry. Drop what dead weight we need to in order to get these things moving."

"What of the POW, sergeant?" Sugiyama asked.

"You mean him, the Suna traitor?" The Sand siblings shot glances at the sergeant, glances of anger mixed with curiosity as to what his next order would be. "You two, is that guy gonna slow you down?"

Temari shook her head. "Nope…piece o' shit shouldn't."

"Good, because the minute he does, we're gonna leave you." The two of them widened the eyes. "Don't gimme that look, goin' half-cocked over a vendetta an' expecting me to all of a sudden be rosy about it. You make sure he doesn't cause trouble or I'm gonna give him and you some trouble, got it?" His tone was surprisingly curt, couldn't recall the last time he was ever like that towards those two.

The both of them sat there in bewilderment, surprised as I was at his tone. "Y-yes, sergeant." Kankuro muttered.

I tapped him on the shoulder and whispered in his ear, adjusting the volume to compensate for the trucks. "Sergeant, are you serious with them? I mean…they've been with us for some time. Can't just leave them like that."

He huffed. "Should they hinder the mission over this score, you bet your ass I'll have them hanging."

"B-but they're our allies."

"But not our own soldiers…not Leaf soldiers." Those words were those that I've never heard from him. It disturbed me to say the least. "I know what your feelings are towards the blonde, but I'm not here to cater to them or your little fling. Maybe one day you'll understand that but until then we're going along with what I say, ok?"

"Yes, yes I understand, sergeant." I guess I couldn't blame him. Becoming the ersatz leader of a ragtag group of soldiers that looked more like disheveled guerillas was quite the mental strain.

"Good. Now then, keep an eye out. Damn Soundies have gotta have patrols buzzin' around thanks to us whacking the wasp nest. Get your pissy girlfriend and tell her to do the same."

I was frankly surprised. He had never referred to Temari like that and furthermore I wanted to question it, but an order was an order. "Ok, sergeant."

Balancing myself on these awful dirt roads was a challenge in an of itself, adding a rather tired and battered body transformed it into torture. I managed to get myself over to Temari who was saying something to herself quietly. I didn't bother to ask what.

"Temari, get your brother to keep an eye on this guy and help me keep a lookout. Sergeant's orders." She paused which let to some irritation for me. "You heard me, right? I said…"

"Yeah, yeah, I got ya." My guess was that since she heard what Sarutobi had to say that she was less than eager to really keep watch when she'd rather exact a little more vengeance on this traitor. But she was smart, and she knew what she'd get herself into crossing Sarutobi. She prepped her scope and hustled her way over to me and face the opposite way. That corporal, Okubo, was in the other truck keeping watch all by himself…and if he was as good as he touted himself to be, he wouldn't need help from us. About three seats over, Naruto was busy listening to Sergeant Mitarashi's orders now that she was probably Sarutobi's right-hand woman. It did little to help him as I spotted him rubbing that little satchel of his like some sorta lucky talisman. When Naruto grew nervous, others around him did the same. He had that strange aura about him that seemed to ooze out whatever mood he was feeling at the time. Given how he was typically a lunkhead who didn't know what lack of confidence meant, the younger soldiers would follow him into Hell if he so willed it. I guess it was because he only owed obligations to himself to be the best, but now with someone else in the mix, it had made him grow up a little. Seeing him actually dish out orders to what remained of 4th squad was quite unsettling to say the least, but she picked him for a reason. Captain Umino, tragically, wasn't around anymore to show him the ropes, so perhaps it took this to really get him going. With Private Konohamaru around though, he had that modicum of solace that some leaders would be begging for.

The trucks went to a halt. I hadn't seen it but surmised that Sarutobi must've signaled it.

"Dim the lights," one of the Water troopers said to the driver after he had pulled the window open, "our eyes will adjust."

"By how much and how long we gotta wait here?" Choji asked.

"If we're lucky, only a matter of a few minutes." I spoke up, my experience being my guide. "The moon's out so we won't be staring into complete darkness, but wait until everything gets into a low light, then we'll be good to go."

"Oh, ok then. Thanks Shikamaru."

"Nice explanation Nara." Sarutobi patted me on the shoulder, then turned to the rest. "Close your eyes for a short while, then open them up. That'll help."

"But what about the Soundies, sergeant?"

"We'll have to take that chance, Asano."

Everything went dark for a little while, the stirring of the engines reverberating in my eardrums even louder now that no one was making a noise. I gave myself a minute or so, then opened them up again. It worked, somewhat. The illumination was casting itself giving a dull glow over the rocks and selected parts of the ground. It wasn't much but it did the job helping us to not have to rely on those headlights. The only setback was the dramatically lower speed. We didn't know where the hell we were going for the most part and Sarutobi would occasionally check his compass which even that would fail on him from time to time. All we had to do was make sure we were heading southeast. The roads had other intentions. The bumps threw off the compass and the winding trails were constantly denying us our proper azimuth.

"Everything all right, sergeant?" Little Private Takigawa asked as tactfully as she could so he could hear, giving a quick glance to him as she went right back to trying to navigate.

"Yeah…we're good private. Just keep driving."

"R-Roger, sergeant." I had to give the little girl some credit. She came up with the idea of hot-wiring the trucks and now she's the one leading our escape. How a gal like her could drive a truck like this though, Lord knows. Old man was probably a mechanic or transporter or something, hell maybe even a farmer and she herself had to be eighteen or so, like she was fresh out of school and wet behind the ears. And to think that a woman wouldn't even go near the steering wheel of a two ton truck. You learn something new every day. If we do survive this, even I wanna see that little lady with a medal. She's earned it so far.

Jeez…what a mess we got ourselves in. As the darkness spared us from the eyes of the Sound, my mind drifted off, back into the past. I remember when all of us were little boys and girls back in school. I was my typical lazy self, Ino was so cheery you swear you'd catch diabetes from her, and Choji was shaping himself to be a little porker. I remembered Naruto's impulsive and overeager ramblings about being something great and Hinata watching him all doe-eyed. God, how times change faster than you'd like. How's that quest for greatness workin' out for ya, Naruto? Yeah, it must feel awesome to be cold, miserable, and scared half to death you'll never see the love of your life again. Same goes for Ino. How quickly she grew up, eh? The once vanity-obsessed girl is now parent-less and on the verge of another breakdown. Already in the past day or two she's danced between the lines of massive grief, catatonia, murderous rage, normalcy, somberness, and back to this aloofness that was just not like here at all. If she was to stay in the army she'd have to snap out of it quick. The only person I really pitied was Choji, the guy with a heart as big as the gun he carried, a kid once rejected constantly by girls now the sole caretaker of a very fragile one. He was my best friend since we were toddlers and if anyone didn't deserve this sort of fate, it was him. Unfortunately the Sound weren't exactly the psychologically sensitive type, the labor camps and random killings testament to that.

Temari was muttering something under her breath about how hard it was to pull security with the moonlight. I couldn't agree more. I couldn't see a God-forsaken thing here. Add that to the dull roar of the engines and anyone on foot could get close. Images of an ambush played into my head over and over again and I was sincerely hoping the Sound would just mistake us for another convoy of patrolling troops. Of course, a closer inspection from any of them would spell doom for us. We just had to keep moving.

I inched my way closer to Choji who had rested his newly acquired MG42 on the wooden support edge of the truck. "Hey man."

"Hey."

"See anything so far?"

"Nope, not a damn thing. This 'tactical darkness' notion sucks."

"Join the club." I moved closer to prevent anyone from being within earshot. "How's she faring?"

The look on his face already gave me that answer. "Can't say to be completely sure. One minute she's cooperative with me and the next she slashes at me with a knife. Now she's all quiet. Gotta wonder if she'll snap out of this."

I hated myself for constantly harping on her demeanor. Felt like I had been doing it for the past few days now, but a childhood friend was a childhood friend. Ino was bitchy and vain at times, no one could disagree to that be they Sakura or myself. However, she had her moments between her, Choji, and I, where I was glad to have her along, and now we're teetering on the edge of losing her. We had to get out of this hellhole fast.

"Makes ya think of school days, huh?"

"Wha?"

"School days…ya know, when I was still a porker and she was the belle o' the ball who outside of bein' a friend didn't give me the time a' day. Now look at us, cold and trying to escape a massive army. Stuff that legends are made of, eh?" The attempts of light humor were bogged down by that somber look on his face. Shit, I couldn't blame him for trying.

"Yeah…legends all right. Seems like every legend overlooks the crap that goes with it."

"Least we got the sarge."

"Yep, least we got him." It was the smartest thing I heard him say all this time. Not saying he was a moron, but he helped to instill more of the confidence I had in Sarutobi. Without him, we'd be without leadership and like chickens with our heads lopped off.

The sergeant tapped on the windshield. "Keep it slow and steady private and bear right. It's not perfectly southeast, but we're gettin' there."

"R-roger, sergeant."

I turned to see the ruins of the rocket base still glowing, crackling fires licking up to the sky like it was offering a sacrificial pyre to some god of old. I'm sure it stunk of something fierce, the stenches of fuel, burning metal, and corpses. We had to leave our comrades there, a grim reminder of how ideals in war were balderdash, cute thoughts of bringing everyone home wasted. On occasions explosions would emerge and light the sky up even more, like the aforementioned god was demanding an encore, the bloody slaughter that was the main act already having it in rip-roaring laughter. Me and the rest of my comrades were no longer fit to put on such a performance. Nazuka was dead as was half of 4th squad. Didn't really get to know the private either. Rumors amongst the newbies spread that he was some punk delinquent or dare I say felon, the army being his ticket towards redemption. Personally I didn't care. He was with us one week and next thing I knew he had saved part of the squad when he went up with that psychotic Deidara fellow. I say that he did more than redeem himself if he even needed to. But upon hearing what happened to him, I grew nervous that a similar fate if not a worse one would befall anyone else in my squad. So far, only Toyama, Ino, Choji, and I have survived most of the ordeals. Everyone else…unfortunately didn't. It chilled me to the bone just how many squadmates we lost in the past two plus years. Was death just toying with us or did fate decide to torment us with more labors than any human should suffer? Were some of us more expendable than others or were we just lucky? Frankly I'm surprised that some horrible injury or worse had happened to my buddies and I. Fucking laws of life would probably jinx me for saying such things though. Hell, it already did with Ino.

"Stop the trucks! Stop 'em!" Sarutobi knocked on the windshield and the thing ground to a halt, jolting everyone else on the bed. The Sand traitor was still out like a light, wouldn't feel a thing…but that was neither here nor there. What was going on?

"Sergeant?" Choji asked aloud.

"Shhhh! We've got incoming! Kill the engines and stay low!"

"Oh crap. I can see one truck." I whispered towards Temari's direction. "Get down!" The lights on the vehicle gave it away and the whirring engines blocking out most of the noise in its immediate vicinity, but that didn't mean we were invisible. It was heading towards the intersection up ahead, speeding along the pathway to the left. It reminded me of when we were on the run before the damn rocket base when we were plucked right out of the sky. That was certainly a blast…and now we're at less than two thirds our power and lacking two thirds of our leadership.

"C'mon you sons a' bitches…turn left or go straight. Turn left or go straight, please." Sarutobi was whispering, hoping that someone or something could answer his request.

The lights had the possibility of picking up some sort of reflection from the truck, the less the better, hence all of us packing in the back like sardines. I'm sure Private Takigawa and the others in the truck seats slunk as far down as they could. Only Sarutobi and I peeked our heads up, my rifle at the ready just in case and his sharp wit on edge, waiting to find some way to deal with whatever the Soundies chose. The damn thing just stood there at the intersection, like it couldn't decide where it wanted to go. It was like going clothes shopping with my mother back home and my dad always lamenting to me about her indecision. My mom wasn't a damn Sound truck driver, but the gall of this guy to just stay there.

Luck was on our side however. The thing swerved left and kept driving off. The darkness served us well but unfortunately our eyes had to adjust again thanks to the damn headlights. It took another minute before we got those trucks running again and we were off. A quick scan from me, Temari, and Okubo showed the coast to be relatively clear. The sun hadn't made any subtle appearance yet so time was still on our side, but not for long.

I could hear the collective sigh of relief amongst the men and women. Couldn't really blame 'em. I did the same thing.

"Ok…start it up again, private."

"Roger." The trucks roared back to life and without a moment's hesitation we were bolting a hard right at the intersection. The compass slid into southeast. Perfect. I could only hope it lasted like this up to the border of the damn place. Problem was…we had miles and miles to go.

The map was almost useless now that light discipline was in order. All we had was a faintly glowing compass and the slow and subtle rise of the sun to rely on, of course the sun wouldn't be up for a while. We slowly moved on. Felt like an hour, perhaps a little less, I didn't know.

Bits and pieces of machinery and weaponry bounced around, hitting my feet on occasion as I paid no heed and scanned the area. Then…something up and grabbed me.

"GAHH!" I yelped.

Temari turned around. "What the…?"

As I stared down, the once incapacitated prisoner had grabbed my ankle and looked up at me. His eyes were filled with bewilderment and fear as his lips tried to get something out. "P-p-pl…"

"Oh shit…he's up!" Kankuro hissed as he got up to strike him with his rifle. Instead I slugged the man and knocked him out again, sparing him from an even worse beatdown from a fellow Suna citizen. I could see the terror in his eyes before I forced them shut again.

For a small fraction of a second, I almost felt a twinge of pity for him in the swirling fear that was clogging every part of my body and mind. I rarely felt such things…and the fact that this man was a traitor to the woman I cared for made it all the more troublesome.

"Heh…thanks. Looks like you got to him before I did. Aren't we merciful?" That last line had a hint of snark, something that rubbed me the wrong way but I dared not show it.

"You're welcome." I noticed Temari giving me a look, a little satisfaction from her for me punching that guy if I could translate it. I felt it unnecessary to reply outside of a simple nod.

Unbeknownst to the both of us, Sarutobi saw the whole thing. The second I smelled his cigarette breath, I knew it was too late. "You better make sure that man is up and ready to move without a fucking peep, or what I said before will become reality, understand? You keep them on a leash, Nara."

"Uh-understood, sergeant." I shouldn't have felt the fear in my bones of that man. I couldn't remember the last time I did. Thought I was beyond that. When I looked at him, he had this exhausted and sympathetic look to him. He wasn't trying to freak me out nor antagonize me. Stress was getting to him.

Another half-hour passed between dodging another patrol. It was by some miracle that although we heard planes in the distance, they simply missed where we were by several kilometers. However, what was more problematic was that the night was beginning to fade and slowly but surely light started to emerge. Every passing minute had the day brighten just that little bit more. Sure it helped that little woman drive but it didn't help us stay concealed.

"How much longer to go, sergeant?" Toyama inquired.

"I wish I could give you a definite answer, private, but I can't. If I could give ya an estimate, I'd say maybe another hour or so." Of course he wasn't going to say sorry about it. What bothered me though was what the case might be should a road block or what have you get in our way. I wasn't up for another chase after that debacle in Kusa. My bones couldn't take it and with us in our weakened state and away from the flatter fields of Kusa, we'd be proper screwed.

My skin crawled once more as I heard the whirring of motorbikes around us. Being a sniper for so long luckily helped my hearing become more attuned to the specifics and to my fortune, they weren't really behind us, but off to the side. Unfortunately, the risk remained. They were lighter and more agile on those things and if they were the joint ones I've seen before, their MG42s could cut us to pieces with a well-aimed burst. We'd need Choji's gunnery skills along with some long range precision to hold them at bay.

Although there were no Soundies, I couldn't get my pulse to slow down nor could I get my breath completely calm. The repetitive sight of fog in front of my face brought the feelings of the bitter cold back into my body and mind, something I figured the adrenaline would still be taking care of.

"Sergeant?" The man next to Takigawa tapped his leg.

"What's goin' on, trooper?"

"We've…um…got a bit of a problem 'ere."

"Whaddaya mean?"

"Figures the bloody things weren't topped off by the time we blagged 'em from the Sound."

"Blagged?"

"Ya know…robbed."

"Oh…but what's the deal?"

"Well, with our pace, we've got about maybe fifteen minutes left 'fore we're running on fumes if not dry, sergeant. And if you're estimated are correct, we've got a lot more kilometers left to go."

Shit…that was the last thing I wanted to hear that wasn't a rifle cracking. Outta gas? Out of fucking gas?

"Damn it…" He grunted out. "Ok, how much time ya think we've got left in the tanks?"

"I'm no engineer, sergeant, but if I had a hazard to guess judging from what I see in from the meter, we've got maybe fifteen, twenty minutes left at this pace."

He snarled. The private was right. We could sense it in the trucks themselves, sputtering as they tried to suck up every drop of diesel fuel there was in the tanks. Obviously we couldn't take the time to fill them up, but I would've appreciated if we had the fortune of having a vehicle work our way, just this once. But alas, no.

"What about the other truck, sergeant?"

"How the hell would I know?" He cleared his throat and felt the itch to pull out a cigarette, but doing that was begging for a Sound rifleman to spot it and nail him in the head. "Damn it. Ok…we keep going as long as we can. When the truck or trucks die, we bail and head southeast as soon as we can. No time for rest and no time to consolidate. We have to keep moving." He turned to Mitarashi. "In case you didn't hear me, Anko, we've got about fifteen to twenty mikes before these trucks go dead from fuel. We grab what we can and ditch what'll definitely slow us down. If we can lighten these trucks from all the worthless crap they had, we can maybe squeeze another five minutes out of them. If we're ditching extra weapons, make sure the Soundies can't use 'em. Sound ok to you?"

She nodded. "Figures we got another fuckin' bump in the road. All right…can and will do. I'll overlook the troops doin' it. You keep overwatch with the others."

"Good…good…"

While I kept security, I could hear some of the soldiers already tossing whatever crap they found no longer worth carrying. Rifles were disassembled and parts strewn about. Ammo cans were consolidated and the rest thrown by the wayside. I was tempted to toss something, but I needed that pilfered MP40, especially when I still had 3 or so fresh magazines I looted. The Springfield would do jack shit up close and personal but we all knew when it came down to it, it would never fail me. You might even go so far as to say it was attached to my body I could handle it so lethally.

Apparently it did the trick as the trucks picked up in speed just that little extra bit, and one kilometer I didn't have to run was a good kilometer. Still had to be careful not to pick up the volume too much milking these things for what they were worth. What I wouldn't give for a gas can or two. The bitter cold of the morning was still stinging us, nipping at our fingers and toes. All the wiggling and hand rubbing in the world couldn't seem to rid me of this malaise, and soon enough we were going to be trudging through the dead leaves and wet grass all over again, but hey…cold toes sure as hell beat death.

Some of the soldiers were too busy trying to get some sort of rest. Sarutobi let them, especially some of the more weary ones like Ino who rested herself tactfully against Choji to where he was concealing her completely. He didn't mind, that was for sure. My body yearned for a respite but I couldn't give it one. Hell even if I could I wouldn't get much out of it. I'd probably be even drowsier and just begging for me to do something stupid and earn a bullet in between the eyes.

I lost track of the time. Felt like ten minutes, maybe fifteen. My fatigue was starting to reveal its ugly face. From time to time, Choji or Temari knocked me back into reality with a gentle push. The ruins of the rocket base were all but in the far distance, the occasional flicker of flame rising up beyond the horizon, making itself known to all around once again.

"Creepy…" I overheard Choji murmur to himself. Couldn't blame him.

The truck jerked itself forward, causing everyone to slide towards the front, rudely awaking anyone who was desperately in need of some Zs. Below us we felt the spastic vibrations of the mechanics…and our hearts began to sink.

"Bloody hell…"

"We're outta gas." Mitarashi hissed. "Damn it."

Sarutobi sighed. "It was gonna happen sooner or later, Anko. No sense whining about it now. Private, get what else we can and then prepare to dismount, ok?"

"Roger that, sergeant."

Despite her best efforts, the truck started slowing down, reaching over the crest of a small hill and running right down it. It gave us another couple hundred meters before the thing wheezed for life, sucking the last drop of gasoline dry, and then it was as good as dead. The other truck soon followed, a little more life in it but stopping relatively close. Sarutobi had found out about the similar fate of the rear truck during our little tactical pause. Well if we were all going to be in the shit…

"Everyone, dismount and head," he stuck his hand out pointing to a small depression, "this way about five hundred meters. We form a defensive perimeter and make sure we've got everything we need. Anko, you watch the left with your group and I'll watch the right. Second truck, you guys cover our rear. We're on foot from here on in and we've got a ways to go until we reach friendly territory."

"Ready to go, Asuma."

He signaled to the Sand siblings. "You two, get that guy off and carry his ass. If he runs away, I'll plug him myself. Once we reach the border you're to leave him with our MPs for questioning."

"But sergeant, he…"

"I repeat, you're to leave him with the nearest MP unit for questioning and processing as a POW."

Kankuro cleared his throat as he and Temari propped him up on their shoulders. "You can't be serious, sergeant. The man…"

He stormed right into the Sand partisan's face, poking him harshly. "What part of leaving him to the MPs did you not understand? For the past several months, I've been pretty fuckin' tolerant of you two tagging along with the platoon despite the gross violation of army protocol and tactic, mostly out of pity, charity, and the pretty obvious fact among this entire platoon that your sister's already rather intimate with my corporal. But ever since this mission this little score to settle from years back is wearing my ever-thinning patience adding to the fact I lost a good soldier just hours ago. You will fucking do as I say or I will put a bullet in that prick's head and ruin your so-called chance for justice, or I just might feed you and maybe your sister to the fucking wolves, cleeeeearrrrr?" His hot breath smacked Kankuro in the face as he bore his teeth into the most threatening snarl I've ever seen in the couple of years I've known him.

"C-crystal…"

"Good. Anko, take Temari and have her be your long range. I've got Nara." Temari looked at me reluctantly as she gave the traitor to Kankuro and Asano.

"I'm sorry Temari…sergeant needs ya over there I guess."

"Yeah…yeah I know." She huffed and grabbed her rifle where she rushed towards the head of Mitarashi's pack. I could tell she was miffed but there wasn't much I could do. It was between her and my sergeant. I would be the third wheel. She turned and smirked this uneasy and annoyed expression, a page outta my textbook. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a package of coffee grinds. The sarge told me it'd taste like some tree bark mixed with mud but it'd keep me alert for just a little longer. Just hope it didn't give me the shakes afterwards. Can't shoot straight if I'm jerking my hands about with caffeine.

"Yeeeechhhhh…" I winced from the taste. It was pretty on point from what the sergeant said.

"Don't be leavin' traces, Nara."

"I know, I know, sergeant. I am a sniper after all."

"Ha…that you are. Oh by the way…tastes like mud and bark, don't it, Nara?"

"Couldn't be more right, sergeant." I smirked trying to mask my outright displeasure.

"Usually am…now go on up and take point."

"Roger that." I shuffled past the other guys, Choji directly to my rear with his big gun. With the sun coming up, my visibility was dramatically improving. We could only hope that we weren't walking right into a Sound ambush or some lone sniper with my head already in his scope. However, seeing how we had given them the slip, defying almost every facet of realism, it was hard to imagine we'd be walking right into a trap. No, if anything we'd be the ones who'd stupidly reveal ourselves. Sarutobi spoke with Mitarashi and one of the Water NCOs still alive and with that broke off into their respective groups. He had explained that now only tactical hand signs could be used. Any and all sound had to be down to a peep given how even a whisper could carry distances.

Beneath me, the fallen leaves crunched and scattered about every time my foot raised the ground. Light winds howled through the labyrinth of trees and shrubs, covering some of the movement we made. Looking around however, made the place look isolated, uninhabited, unforgiving…dead if you will. What a wonderful place to try and escape death, wouldn't ya say? Coulda picked a sunny field or maybe sixty years from now, but no, no, no, no…it had to have its greatest potential here so far.

The weather had chilled my canteen, the water being a much needed relief after that entire ordeal as it slid down my throat and removed the dry lump plaguing me there. Seemed the others had followed my example, which was good for the sergeant. I was dying for a beer. Couldn't remember the exact last time I had one and not have to feel rushed or some sense of dread about tomorrow, where Choji and I would just sit down and talk about the good times back in school and the like. Water was getting pretty fucking boring.

Being on point, again, cast me a decent distance from the rest of the pack, a good fifty to a hundred meters as Sarutobi wanted. I caught the faint glimpse of Temari to my right. She looked distracted.

"Stop turning around, Temari. Stop being troublesome and just fuckin' look forward. Your bro's got him. Do your damn duty." I softly said to myself, my mind thinking the words would magically penetrate her eardrum. That was quite naïve. Surprisingly though, she returned to form in a few minutes, back to the same sharp-as-a-tack Temari I remembered, fully alert and keeping that head on a swivel.

The sky gave way to passing clouds, but they weren't thick and choking. I could still see the haze. That was good. Then again, this was the Rain Nation. The term "shit happens" was a common idiom, according to the legend. Temari and I froze in our tracks as we heard engines to our left, but they were far…really far. Perhaps it was the tension rattling our nerves, thinking every single sound was one coming towards us.

I stuck one hand out to Temari who immediately got the signal.

"_See anything?_" She signed.

I shrugged my shoulders. "_No. I see nothing. You?_"

"_No enemy. Coast seems clear._"

"_Get up but stay low. Keep those eyes open._"

"_You got it._"

Now I know what you're thinking, how the hell do you communicate like that? Well…seeing how I'm no dunce, Temari and I during our time together developed a sort of sign language. You could say it was sort of similar to the sign language the deaf use, but ours had a little more of a tactical twist to it, a hybrid if you will. I was not really educated in the language of the hearing-impaired so it was a big effort on both our parts. We slunk ourselves deeper into the forest for about another twenty minutes, incredibly lucky that the Sound were still on the lookout for us but with no success. Those abandoned trucks however were more than likely going to be found and from there the Soundies had their first lead. I cursed as my boot got entangled in vine. The shit seemed to be everywhere despite the fact it looked brown and dying. Everything on this patch of earth looked brown and dying and I was beginning to think it wasn't just the season doing that.

The clouds overhead grew, as did my apprehension, the ruined bases smoke helping to discolor them into a sickly grey mixed with yellow. The smell of burning metal and fuel had long escaped our senses, which was great and all, but our clothes stunk of it and many other things. What I said about beer before didn't even compare to what I was fantasizing of when it came to a hot shower…with Temari and lots of bubbles. Heh, look at me, having a dream for once with a woman. I cringed seeing such weakness in myself. What would my father think? Hell…he'd probably give me some lecture on how I'm just repeating the cycle and how she'd whip me somethin' fierce and how my son would be condemned to the same fate. He did that a lot when he drank with Choji and Ino's dads. Ino…Mr. Yamanaka…poor guy. Didn't deserve it one bit he didn't. Oh man, how did my father react to that news? They were comrades in the Great War, in the same damn platoon no less. I wish I was there. I wish all three of us were there, Choji, Ino, and myself.

I felt a shuffle on the ground, very close to me, followed by a strong yank. It was Temari. She got prone real quick and it was her pulling me down with her.

"Moron! Were you friggin' daydreamin' or somethin'?"

"No…no I wasn't."

"Well, you almost got yourself in a world of shit! Have a look see!"

Adjusting my scope, I could see what Temari was talking about. For the first time, the Sound were close, real close, I'd say maybe a good six to seven hundred meters away, something very serious. A wrong move here could still be within the realm of detection by them.

"Looks like a search party…about two squads worth. Looks like one or two machine gun teams and the majority of them riflemen. Sergeants are clear as day."

"They're heading west. Problem is, we don't know if they're going to park their asses there for a while or if they'll just scuttle off real quick."

"Good question. Go back and tell Sarutobi. I'll keep a lookout."

"Are…are you sure about that, lazy?" Her tone mixed concern with scorn. "You sure you won't go back into La La Land?"

"I will if you keep bothering me like that. Now tell Sarutobi what you saw. Ok?"

"Fine…fine…" She mumbled something else before she slowly got her way back towards Choji and the rest. I just hoped those Soundies were moving right along. No sense picking a fight with 'em. I was never one for confrontation unlike my pal Naruto, but now was a spectacularly unnecessary moment for one. I saw them, joking about someone's mother or speaking aloud about what they'd do to us if they found us, praying for the former. True to Temari's word, they were indeed slowly creeping westward. If Sarutobi was smart he'd have us stay put which I figured he'd do. They just better keep that Sand traitor's lid shut. It was him I feared more than anyone one of us snapping. He was a liability. I wondered when he came to if he was even going to say anything. He looked like a quiet little coward, but sometimes they're the ones to look out for. Sure he was woozy if not unconscious now, but in the presence of nearby Sound he'd more than likely alert them.

Despite the soldiers, their gabbing, and the light wind, everything else was so quiet. It was perfect sniper conditions, where I lay completely prone, just watching these numbskulls go about their patrol. The leaves brushed along each other with the wind adding ambiance. I felt something smack my hand, something wet…and then another wet smack hit my forehead. I'm pretty sure I knew what it was, but for some reason I couldn't help but try to confirm. I looked up, and sure enough, a droplet landed right on my cheek followed by another. Rain…damn it all. I should've known the second those clouds were gathering. The soldiers noticed it as well but still, true to Sound discipline, they kept moving along. I trailed them with my scope but kept looking around in case a sniper was around trying to wait for someone to take a shot at them, someone like me. It's a classic sniper trick to lure one out with juicy bait. I wasn't gonna rise to it but I was somewhat confident the terrain and situation didn't have one in place to begin with. It would've been too rushed and no good vantage point. Without proper light it would've been for naught.

The leaves were rustling unnaturally and while it'd be against my practice to take my focus off the Sound, I just had to turn. It was Temari, slowly but surely approaching me.

I signed to her. "_Well, what did he say?_"

"_Hold position. Wait for five to ten minutes until the Sound pass us, then we fall back to their central position to advance as a whole group. Sound good to you?_"

"_I'm good with that. Ten minutes…then we move._"

She shuffled herself up closer, covering my right flank to center while I got the left and center. It seemed this was just an isolated patrol, no vehicles or anything. Still, we had to make sure they were all gone.

Ten minutes passed. There were no sights or sounds of the enemy. The coast seemed clear. "Ok Temari, it's go time. I'll cover your movement and then you cover mine." Bounding back and forth between trees for cover, we sprinted ourselves to Sarutobi, who was waiting for us in the center on one knee.

"I take it our friends ahead of us are outta sight?"

"Seems that way for now, sergeant." I noticed his hand was twitching while holding the map. "You all right there?"

"Huh? Oh…the hand? Yeah I'm just dyin' for a smoke, that's all."

"Ah. Looks like the prisoner's up." I pointed to the traitor Sasori who finally came to as he was propped against a tree. Kankuro didn't notice with Asano now guarding him, but Temari certainly did. He looked woozy as if he had no idea where he was or what was in front of him. She on the other hand seemed intent to fill him in as she pressed her boot on his foot, his face grimacing .

"Oh? You're up I see. It'd behoove you to keep your talk at a minimum. You know who I am…right?" He turned his head to the side, defiantly ignoring her. Poor decision. She grabbed his jaw. "Don't you even dare to look away from me! You know who I am," she pointed to Kankuro, "and you know who he is, don't you?"

He smirked, a stark contrast from the startled man on the truck I had to incapacitate. "Yeah, I know who you are. Took you little brats long enough to finally catch up."

"Sasori…you piece of shit traitor."

He spit in her face and I could sense her blood boiling. She gave him a fierce left hook which flung him to the ground, Kankuro restraining her before she could land another one. He just laughed it off though. "Oh…as I expected. I'd expect such emotions from the daughter of the Kazekage…such anger. Glad my name's still known, even to kids like you."

"You're quite cocky for someone who was just running from us before." I challenged him.

Mitarashi agreed. "Yeah, wasn't talkin' tough on that truck."

"Oh…I'm sorry. I guess I don't have situational awareness when you're knocked out again and again. You Leafers must be somethin' special, huh? That why you haven't beaten us yet? I must say I am getting a little impatient with this war."

"You son of a bitch!" Temari snarled. "You play our father and our country like marionettes, like some sort of puppeteer show, and you have the gall to sneer at us?"

"Ha. Yeah…like a puppet. I played your father real good…got the government to boot him out. Helped coordinate with the Sound too in taking over the whole operation."

"You sold us and your country out!" Kankuro hissed.

"Yeah…I did…what of it?"

"You…you…" Temari lunged at him but Sarutobi and I grabbed her. I caught Kankuro advancing in her place from the corner of my eye.

"Sergeant!" I warned Sarutobi. He was already on it as he grabbed the Sand brother by the arm.

"That's enough…the both of you! We've already wasted enough time playing reunion! We've still got a lot of ground to cover. You keep a lid on that guy or I will do it myself, you got it?"

"Oh…you must be the big man, huh?" He mockingly asked Sarutobi as Nakamura and Asano held him. "You must be the sergeant in charge. What…you Leafers don't keep little shit officers on hand?" Sarutobi punched him in the gut, knocking the wind out of him as he knelt, gasping for air.

"That's how you shut him up. Now let's keep moving. You Sand folks are to stay away from him. Asano, Nakamura, Toyama, keep your eye on him and make sure he's not pulling anything funny." The three of them nodded in unison. "Good. Let's move out."

Still in tactical formation, we got up and marched. Sasori was muttering something under his breath before Toyama kept him quiet again. Temari led the front while I remained close behind. I could feel the bitterness and hatred oozing from her pores. She was mad, hopping mad, and I couldn't blame her. I was expected some sort of sniveling coward when I first laid eyes on the guy palling around with that psychotic Sound officer Deidara, but lo and behold I was wrong. Instead he seemed confident yet blunt, completely uncaring about his situation it seemed. He seemed to not mind running his mouth and not waiting for the consequences to follow. When Temari could control herself, she had explained how this Sasori fellow was well-known in Suna despite his apparent demeanor. It seemed with the indifference he had towards Kankuro and Temari that he didn't even bat an eye, at least I could imagine, when he turned traitor, joined the Akatsuki, and sold the entire nation out to the Sound. Well, maybe it wasn't solely him but I'm sure he had a hand in it. He wouldn't have been treated as some sort of VIP in a secret rocket base if he was just a small time turncoat. Kankuro kept to the rear of the "platoon" formation on purpose, respecting Sarutobi's wishes.

I turned to see Sarutobi's head on a swivel, making sure everyone was accounted for. The rain picked up slightly, adding to our discomfort. Couldn't lie though…it pretty much fit the situation we were in. Sasori continued to mutter to himself, but was it really to himself? I suspected he was trying to get the goat of Temari and Kankuro, knowing how angrily they reacted to him already.

"I wonder…" I barely heard him say. "Oh yes…something here is missing…yeah, something missing in this picture."

"Keep quiet." Nakamura hissed as we plodded along. He gave Sasori a slight push making him stumble and almost fall on his face as his hands were tied up behind his back.

He didn't laugh, he didn't get pissed. He just remained as cool as a cucumber. It worried me. I wanted to voice my complaint to the sergeant but I was afraid he'd have none of it.

We continued for about another fifteen minutes or so, fresh out of the sights of that previous Sound patrol and from the looks of it, unlikely to hit another one for a while. I heard a slight whisper out of Sasori again. He wanted it to be just loud enough for me and Temari to hear.

"Oh yeah, that's right. You're missing someone here, aren't you? I think…I think…ah that's it. Your little brother."

Temari stopped. I had to warn her. "Temari, just don't. Turn around. Please…"

"Oh…got your attention? I'm sorry, I was just talking to myself. Talking about what a masterpiece it was doing what I did. A pure work of art. Deidara…his art was ok, but too temporary…too crude. Mine though, mine was years in the making. You got to see it, but what of your little brother, Gaara, was it?"

"Temari, no…" I pleaded. She wouldn't have any of it.

"You little snake…" She growled, the pain of Gaara's death still fresh in her memory and understandably so. Sasori probably had no idea. "You don't mention his name to me, ever. You have no idea what pain you caused us. You call it a masterpiece? Selling out your entire country? Causing untold death and destruction?"

"To put it bluntly, yes."

The growl from her sounded like a feral lioness. She stormed forward to him, ignoring Sugiyama's attempt to stop her. She didn't want to get in her way and I couldn't blame her. "Why?" She demanded. "Why did you do it? What could've possibly prompted you to do such a thing, to sell us our like that? Why…you monster?"

He laughed, rather disturbingly I might add. It wasn't the laughter of a madman or the laughter of a child, but more calculating and amoral, as if he was just a hollow shell of a person, a doll, a puppet…something he himself was famed to control. "Why…you ask? Why? Well then my fellow Sand citizen, whore daughter of the late Kazekage, I'll tell you why…"


	43. Chapter 43

"I was once from a respectable family, a family of entertainment and intellect. For years we were beloved by Suna and the government, always invited to the prestigious and elite. Your family was always at our backs and shared large sums of coin. Then we fell into debt with the markets crashing and fortunes lost. My own father had tried to make ends meet but he could not. The public lost favor in us…as did our benefactors. My family begged your own lineage for help. We were cast aside for 'social equality.' We were cast aside by your father who promised us help but instead pissed it away on less deserving people."

"He gave money to those in need." Kankuro snapped back.

"Worthless people who'd waste it! We were betrayed! He promised us help and it never came! My father was desperate. We had to sell everything but it still wasn't enough. The poverty drove us to madness."

Alas I was in the middle of all of this. No Sound was in sight and strangely enough no one wanted to interfere with this drama, like we were some sort of sewing circle listening in on the juicy gossip that was Sasori's betrayal of Suna.

"Your excessive wealth drove you to poverty." Temari joined in on the scolding. "I knew of your decadence and your arrogance."

"Arrogance? It was your goody-goody father who was so arrogant with his power and his position."

"We were in a depression from the Great War!"

"And we were in dire need of help…help that never came. My own father had to steal, being brought so low as to be a thief to help us! He fled from the police one night and was shot to death. They said he had a weapon in his hands to which he never did. You ever think about that? Did that even make the headlines to you two?"

Temari was a bit surprised but kept her composure, knowing he was appealing for weakness. "We were sorry about your loss…but this is…"

"This was a betrayal. Your father again did nothing except for a few words of condolence and pocket change!"

"Suna had a crisis! It wasn't his job to pander to people who could've easily provided for themselves!"

"Sergeant…" I muttered.

"Nara, I know." It was all he said. It was as if he too was wrapped up in the drama. Even before the war really began I admitted to being woefully ignorant to the entire happening in the Sand Nation. Hell it wasn't until I met the siblings that I really got a grasp of the gritty and harsh truth behind it all. To me, it was a tumultuous place that was easily gobbled up by the Sound despite pockets of resistance. I thought of the resistance as nothing but peasants and angry intellectuals who took a stab at the powers that be, almost futilely. Of course that was before I met them, met her.

"So that's how friends are treated? With a stab in the back?"

"Says the backstabber himself!" Kankuro hissed.

"People were dying of hunger and you lament your own after it was pissed away?"

"So were we! God, you think that just because I came from a higher class family meant we weren't in dire straits either?"

"Yet you helped whore Suna out. You helped the Sound all along with that puppet government."

"I did what I had to!"

"FOR WHAT?" Temari barked in blatant disregard for tactics. I could almost see tears pushing to get out from her eyes. "FOR FUCKING WHAT? The country's in ruins, our families dead, our people are scattered in foreign lands…for what reason did you have to do this to us?"

He smiled with this certain air of satisfaction, despite knowing full well that if his captors returned in one piece that he'd likely end up at the gallows. It kind of perturbed me, that utter comfort of meeting your maker despite all you've done.

"Heh…simple, really. The Sound offered me a chance that I couldn't give up. Money, power, infiltration into your own government, they were the wave of the future. After what your father did to further damn our land, I finally helped bring about an end to the strife there." He turned to the Sand siblings with sinister glee. "Oh yes, that's really what was the whole issue, your little 'resistance' movement. Seems your father couldn't finish the shit he started, so I ended it, and your suspicions are indeed confirmed." Temari reached past my restraint and slugged him, my strength barely enough to contain her rage. Choji and Naruto had kept Kankuro in check. Sasori all the while stumbled back up, snickering at the fuming woman. "Oh such anger. Lovely. The Sound gave me a pretty sweet deal by the way. I dime your dear old dad out and in return I get a high post with their Akatsuki. Oh but I was doing it well before that incident with the tanks. I admit they were a bit…overkill. I guess Major Hoshigake was behind all that." He lightly muttered referring to the Panzer commander who had killed Captain Umino. "Dear old dad turned into dear old dead in a matter of minutes. I guess the one regret was that there was enough time for you little brats to escape and whaddaya know? Here we are. But wait…you're minus one! Don't tell me…your baby brother must have passed on, huh? Oh to be a fly on the wall during that!"

Kankuro was nearly ready to bowl over my two friends and tackle Sasori, but the quick action of Sergeant Mitarashi saw him staring at a woman ready to knock his teeth out. "He's getting your goat. Beat the shit out of him when we're outta this otherwise Sergeant Sarutobi and I are gonna beat you two as well."

Temari attempted to assist, but my own hand gripped her arm. I could see the tears bulging out of her eyes upon the mention of Gaara. She looked at me with this furious yet pained look on her face, like all the bad shit that plagued her life since the start of this war had suddenly come to the forefront. There wasn't much I could do but I had to get her from further compromising us. "Temari…please."

Her resistance lightened. "Shikamaru…" The tears started to trickle down oh so slowly, that pained look on her stabbing my own heart.

"Sand whore…" I could hear Sasori whisper loudly. It was soon met with a fierce hit from Naruto upside the head, knocking him out cold.

"That's enough out of you for a fuckin' change." He turned to Sergeant Mitarashi who gave him a wild grin of appreciation in return. Wasn't too often a fresh corporal got that from the fiery NCO.

Sarutobi sighed. "All right, someone haul this asshole and keep him quiet if he wakes up." He glared at Kankuro and Temari. "And that's enough outta you two. Anko and I warned you once already. Don't make it a third, ok?"

Oh I could see the brooding disgust in Temari's eyes, being spoken to like a child over such significant matters. It was by good fortune that she possessed such a sense of logic to dare not lash out at the sergeant.

The day was breaking, the glowing fires now a distant memory along with that stench of burning death. The lot of us could barely walk, fatigued if not wounded. Lucky ones like Naruto managed even while helping Inari with dragging Sasori along. Others like myself felt our muscles at the point of near exhaustion, that continuous injection of fear the only thing really getting us going. I had a hard time trying to keep my bearings straight. I had only slept for about two hours or so…or was it three…or one? God, I was so tired.

Ino was barely able to keep pace, but Choji would step in from time to time and give her a boost. It doubtless killed her pride to have to be helped so much, but after her mental snap she was already pretty fragile and Sarutobi wouldn't budge an inch in leniency. It was only a matter of time until another one like that occurred. I had read about things like this, where such duress can break a man or woman almost permanently. What Ino needed was a good, long rest…and a person to talk to, Choji preferably. However, even that wouldn't get rid of the trauma. I guess what bothered me most of my close friend was the on and off demeanor she had. Sometimes I saw this blank look in her eyes and other times I saw the same Ino that I remembered from months and years past. That's what made it so nettlesome. She was going to become somewhat unpredictable. God, if this war did ever end, I could only hope that the life for her afterwards would free her from these so recent demons. Of course, seeing the ruins of her home and everything would be the most bitter pill to swallow first.

I was stuck out on point with Temari to my near flank. Kankuro was also forced to the front as well so both sergeants could keep an eye on them. I didn't like it much but totally understood.

Cold.

Everything was so cold. The sun blocked by the seemingly permanent overcast did precisely jack and shit to warm any of us up. My glove liners could only hold so much heat in them, the blue steel of the trigger and bolt sending shockwaves of ice into my nerves every time I felt the urge to get my fingers near them. My boots were already moist brushing against the wet leaves. I was pretty sure my feet were going to look like torn linens if ever got back.

Eyes were hazy. The coffee grinds my meal packs had were the only things keeping me somewhat alert and leaving that fresh, bitter taste in my mouth that made me wanna kill someone for a toothbrush. I had decided to share mine with Temari since she lost hers. Ain't that cute? Sacrificing your own safety and mental awareness just to help a lady? Swear to God this would've been non-existent two years ago.

There was something about this place that just sapped our strength. This constant gloom made it feel almost haunted. If the end of the world were to come about, this land would possibly look like what it'd be afterwards. Naruto, normally a guy who'd try to smile out of any outcome, was barely able to hold a modicum of positivism. All I saw now was a tired look and the driving urge just to survive.

Damn Sarutobi. Damn him for volunteering for this. So nettlesome this whole affair was. I only wish I could hate him for all this…but he lost his own dad in all this too. I'd be a liar if I said I wouldn't be as raring for direct vengeance after all that devastation. However, was it really worth the loss of Nazuka and the mental scarring of Ino, something air power could've likely taken care of? Feh, air power was a naïve thought. They wouldn't have hit anything or just lightly wounded the bases and wrote it off as a success. In my heart of hearts, I just wished that someone else would've volunteered.

We had been walking for well past an hour, the compass the only reliable piece of equipment all of us had. Eastward…all we had to do was push eastward. As much as the clouds were awful, they were a godsend limiting the visibility of their recon planes. That traitor Sasori was still out and it seemed Naruto was certainly callous in his handling of the man, dragging him along seemingly ignorant of whatever smacked his face or body. No troubling faces on the Sand fighters, that was to be for sure. Temari was as transparent as a specter as she and I traded bounding overwatch positions. Every fifty meters we'd advance and cover each other. Since that Corporal Okubo survived, he was scanning our rear to make sure we weren't being tailed.

Another half-hour. The map was useless, tattered and barely visible thanks to the continuous moisture and abuse it took it…only the compass and our wits. But damn it all. Got some thick trees, a cliff, or some open roads? Fuck that, time to divert yet again! I swore that every time we got on step closer to friendly territory we were taking two steps back, heading north or south instead of east.

We were slowly approaching another clearing. These were tough spots because it could afford us some faster travel but we'd be a lot more visible to any recon force the Sound might've placed before or ahead of us. My trusty scope gave me nothing to scare us, but we had to form our perimeter to be safe.

Sarutobi's presence was felt as he approached Temari and I, nephew in tow. "Situation."

"Looks clear, sergeant, but the emphasis is on the word 'looks.'"

"We wait out for a few minutes and see what we've got going on. Can't have any Sound patrols catch us in the open otherwise we're sitting ducks. I'm gonna give the word to the rest of the troops. Private, you stay here with the snipers."

Minutes of silence passed, trigger fingers quite itchy. Of course, as always, the bad vibes started to creep in. It had been well over three or four hours of movement and rest since an encroaching Sound patrol. My eyes got hazy though. Damn, coffee grounds must've lost their effect on me…and so convenient. Temari was off looking in another direction as was Konohamaru. Maybe I could just rest my eyes for a few seconds. They could recharge. Fighting the ever-growing bags under them seemed near futile anyway. Maybe for just a few seconds…maybe. It went dark.

"Corporal!"

I snapped out of it, eyes still feeling heavy. So much for that. "Huh? What?"

It was Konohamaru, jostling my arm to wake me some more, a dead serious look in his eyes. "Corporal…Jesus wake up man, and stay down!" However his tone was a faint whisper, so something was definitely up.

"What's…" His finger to his lips interrupted me. Ever curious, I had to see what was going on. Seeing my watch I realized to my horror that I'd been out for five minutes and only now did anyone even notice. But it wasn't Sarutobi which was a small miracle, but there was no room to reflect. My heart sank to my stomach as I saw what I thought we had lost.

The Sound was back. It was another recon force of about fifteen or twenty soldiers, all of them moving down our left flank, but only around three hundred meters from us. To my left I saw Sarutobi, the Water troops, and Choji hover himself over Ino. A few meters farther had Naruto and Inari laying low by a hollow log, Sasori close enough to restrain in case he woke up, but their eyes were exchanging glances at the Sound and the traitor.

My ears picked up their commands to each other in whatever cryptic code they used sneaking in between the normal language. My mind couldn't focus on what though…too nervous to even clench my ass. These Soundies looked like they were serious business too, not some ragtag reaction force. I could see the outlines of their camouflage patters rustle amongst the foliage, dulled gunmetal of FG42s and Gewehr43s and whatever else I could recognize. While the hardware was concerning, the wandering sets of eyes towards our direction was what freaked me out. I'm sure I wasn't alone in my sentiment. Konohamaru closely huddled near me, Temari unfortunate enough to still have to cover our other sides so we weren't getting caught in a pincer.

"Just stay still, private." I hummed to the boy, scared stiff as he was. Hill 404 was a rush of action for him, but this, the fear of being caught and killed without anyone to claim your corpse deep in enemy territory? This scared the living daylights outta him. Little bugger should still be in school, not belly-flat on wet leaves holding his breath. When I went through sniper training, we were told to hold our breaths only when we had a target to shoot, not just to conceal ourselves. Light, calm breaths were what Temari and I had learned. Sarutobi had signaled me to keep my eyes on the middle to end of the patrol. He and the others had the front. We weren't stupid enough to start shooting. Who knew if there were others just waiting for a reaction from us?

All we had to do was just lie there and wait. They'll pass and we'll be on our way. Dead simple, right?

"_C'mon you sons a' bitches, just leave us already. That's it," _I thought to myself with my scope focused on one of the light machine gunners, "_keep walking past, just like the rest of your idiot buddies. We're not even here._" For those minutes I felt like we were watching what would've been the kick-start to the end times for us all. Everything was dead silent. My heart was palpitating.

Shots rang out, shots from our side.

I immediately heard Inari scream a curse or two while yelping in pain. A few more shots rang out and Naruto soon starting barking and trading a shot or two with whomever was shooting.

"Shit!" Temari hissed.

Then I saw something that threw me in a panic. Konohamaru got up.

"We gotta move to cover, like n-AAAAHHH!" The Sound wasted no time tracking him and a volley of rounds made their way to him, one smacking him right in the hip. He collapsed on top of me.

"Oh fuck…fuck!" I took a shot at the alerted Sound troopers but hit nothing. Temari picked up the slack and teamed up with Choji to lay some suppressive fire down. I grabbed Konohamaru's collar and dragged him right to Sarutobi whose faced turned pale seeing his nephew.

"Konohamaru!"

Ino crawled faster than a centipede over to the kid, yelling and struggling all the while. Sarutobi knelt right in front and fired a short burst. Konohamaru was crying his eyes out, never before wounded that bad I bet. Sixteen years old and he's shot right through the hip.

"Oh my God…oh my God it hurts! Uncle! Uncle, help me!"

"Just stay down, kid!" Ino snapped back while pulling his clothing to get to the wound. After taking another shot at the Sound I glanced over. He got hit below his kidney, which was a miracle in and of itself, but he was in no shape to move. "You're gonna be ok, you're gonna be ok." She grabbed what looked like some medical sulfa powdered scavenged from the Sound and dusted his wound with it. He screamed above all the gunfire, tears running down the dirt-caked face. Ino in a strong moment of personal restraint held back her own aversions to dress the wound with whatever else she had, Konohamaru continuing to scream out in pain, screaming for his only piece of family here, Sarutobi. This only enraged Sarutobi who picked up his rate of fire, killing two of the Soundies that popped from cover.

I aimed high and managed to target a grenadier in the chest. Fire immediately went my way and I ducked. We still had the advantage of more trees and some boulders, but they weren't doing much. One poor Water guy got pasted right in the chest and from the looks of it wasn't going to get back up.

Inari was brought over by Naruto who was bleeding pretty hard from his leg, Naruto using whatever bandage he had originally to help the Water soldier out.

"Bastard took my gun an' shot me!" He cursed with whatever Water medic was attending to him. "Fuck! Musta snuck up on me while I was lookin' at the Sound!"

I turned and saw Sasori waving what looked like a pistol, pointing the gun to me and forcing me to duck as he missed me by a good four feet, moving near serpentine towards the Sound soldiers. But…but how? How did he manage to get a hold of a weapon? But then when I finally recognized that gun, I recalled it being Inari's revolver. Damn it! He must've snuck up on him when he came to and we were all eyeballing the Soundies.

"HEY! I'M AKATSUKI! IT'S ME SASORI! HERE! THEY'RE OVER HERE! THE LEAF'S GOT ME! THE LEAF'S GOT…!" Mitarashi nailed him in the shoulder with her rifle and he soon fell into the shrubs, pistol flying off elsewhere. We were too busy trying to fight off the Sound to retrieve him.

"Form up! Set volleys!" Sarutobi commanded through the hailstorm of fire. The FG42s were alive and well, splintering the trees I had previously rested behind. Choji and a few other soldiers were desperately trying to crawl elsewhere out of their sight in a flanking attempt. The big gun had been silent. I saw what Sarutobi was trying to do, get the Sound to underestimate our firepower and potentially move in for the kill. But how long could we keep the Sound like that? A grenade explosion that ripped the guy next to Trooper Takigawa told me we didn't have much time. They were definitely past two hundred meters and we already had two killed and several wounded. Ino and the other surviving medics were too busy trying to patch up anybody hit.

A stick grenade bounced off the rock Sarutobi had taken cover behind. He screamed.

"GET DOWN!" Second later our eardrums were pounded. I couldn't hear a thing but saw Sarutobi move his mouth in a foul manner he'd reserve only for the worst moments. He threw his own grenade back but I couldn't tell if it hit somebody. Temari pasted one of the riflemen trying to flank us moments before he could get a bead on Naruto. I suddenly felt another round hit near my boot and then Okubo screamed.

"Contact! Left flank! They've bloody snuck around us!" A squad of Sound riflemen had found their way past us, downing Okubo's comrade before she had the chance to reload.

"Damn it!" Mitarashi growled. "Asuma, get your gunner to open up on that side!"

"You heard the lady, Akimichi! Open it up! Uzumaki, get four others and assist Nara!"

Unfortunately without the help of Ino, Choji had to load the box near him all by himself, but luckily being a gunner for so long got him to a point where he knew the ins and outs. Music to my ears it was when the MG42 sounded off, that canvas-ripping report sending high-speed death to the Sound.

I hid behind another thick tree. "Naruto, I gotta reload!" As I shakily thumbed rounds into the feed, Naruto had fired a powerful burst at the squad of attackers. Nakamura hurled a grenade in their general direction, the wail of agony a good sign it did its job.

Kaz, Sugiyama, and several others formed a protective ring around the wounded and were repelling the Sound advance but barely. A round tore above Toyama's shoulder and sent him down yelling. His paramour had no time to assist him, forced down by a retaliatory wave of Gewehr fire. When the time came however, she was there to help him and getting him to lean on her for some form of ersatz platform.

"Their fire's down, lads! We gotta charge 'em!" A Water NCO declared as he hauled the co-pilot up and garnered a few more. Naruto, Asano, and Nakamura after another grenade went off near the Sound jumped up and charged the flanking element. "Push 'em back, lads!" He gunned down a retreating Sound soldier. "Keep…" But as I feared a bullet soon met his head and he simply crumpled to the ground. Naruto found the enemy responsible and blew him apart point blank. The co-pilot was firing wildly at the group before Nakamura yanked her down to avoid a rifle butt swinging towards her face. She shot the woman before she could aim her rifle at him again. Within minutes of firing, the flanking element had been wiped out, but we lost that one sergeant and another soldier from 4th Squad was lightly wounded.

Miraculously, the Sound force had now become broken, underestimating the tenacity of our soldiers to simply survive. That or they simply weren't expecting so many of us armed to the teeth. It was either that or our tactics were simply better than theirs and they only looked imposing. Sarutobi and Mitarashi and practically charged the last of the Sound task force with a couple Water soldiers and save for a few cuts and scratches survived eliminating the rest. Had it not been for Choji holding back the machine gun in the end, there would've been no way we would've survived with so many and got the tables turned so quickly. But in the end we paid a harsh price for twenty minutes worth of fighting, half of which I couldn't even see. Konohamaru was still shaking from the blood loss…but stabilized. Inari could barely hold himself up. Ino was near fainting and hands covered in blood. Six soldiers lay dead amongst the Soundies, and unfortunately a six to twenty-four ratio was still not a good thing considering where we were and just what our exact situation was, with alligators up our asses. This place was nipping us apart, bit by bit. We had to get outta here.

"Yamanaka?"

Ino looked up to the sergeant with earnest eyes. "He'll be all right. It's a bad wound and he's going to need some help to move, but he'll be ok."

"Thank you, Yamanaka. Thank you." He raced up to Konohamaru. "Private? Private can you hear me?" His eyes widened with concern as the boy had his eyes closed and his breathing shaky. "Konohamaru…it's your uncle. It's your Uncle Asuma. C'mon kid, speak to me."

A minute had passed and Sarutobi started to quiver. But then the kid's eyes opened. His hand gripped his uncle's. "Uncle…"

"Hey soldier. You're gonna be ok. Don't you worry kid, we got through it…sent the Sound running."

He smiled back. "Th-thank you. I…" He took a deep breath, blood drying from his lips, "I wanna go home, uncle. I wanna go home. I'm sorry."

"It's ok, nephew. You'll be back home and in a nice, warm bed soon enough. We got…we got that sum'bitch that tried to get away too."

For the second time ever, I saw tears leave Asuma's eyes. But they faded quickly. He was just happy that his nephew was alive. I was too, and so was Naruto. When Naruto came up I could see elation on his face.

"Heya, private. You did good. You did real good."

"Heh…thanks…Boss." He smiled again before finally fading to sleep, Ino's bandages keeping his wound from getting any worse. The kid was running on fumes, as were most of us, but we couldn't rest. I envied the wounded. They had that luxury. Looking around the squad had formed back up, with the notable exception of Temari. Scanning around, I saw her walking ever so slowly towards the direction of the dead Sound. I decided to follow after.

"Temari! Hey Temari we ain't got time to scavenge! Sergeant says we gotta beat feet."

She wasn't paying attention but instead had her head tilted a might lower like she was staring directly at something, or someone. Next thing I knew she increased her pace.

"Temari?"

"Oh…thought you were going somewhere, you piece of shit?" Temari hissed in the air. Then I realized that Sergeant Mitarashi had only wounded the traitor. He must've still been alive and crawling desperately to the safety of the Sound, before they were wiped out.

"Temari!"

"Nah, you get back here!" Temari grabbed the man by his ankle and in furious strength hauled him back about three feet before stomping him in the back. "Shooting my friends? Alerting the Sound? Oh now I'm just gonna beat you senseless!" She delivered a hard kick to his stomach, the man spitting out blood while feebly clutching his arm. She planted her foot on his bleeding shoulder, the man yelping involuntarily. She grabbed his collar and pounded away before I could finally catch up. Oh about more blows were laid when I grabbed her arms and tried to pull her back with all my might.

"Temari…for fuck's…for fuck's sake!" Kicking him all the while, she growled at me. Wow I forgot just how strong she was. "Temari, stop it!"

"NO! I'm gonna personally make this man suffer!"

"What did the sergeant say?"

"Fuck him! This snake will be dead by my hands!"

"No, Temari! He'll get his punishment in front of all the Sound!"

"Temari we have to leave, now! Everyone within a five mile radius heard the firefight! We gotta leave!"

With alarming audacity she actually shoved me aside and right into the arm lock of Kankuro. "No, Shikamaru, dear…we're not going to leave just now. We're going to beat this traitorous piece of shit into a pulp. After all, his actions killed six more of our friends."

"L-Let me go, Kankuro!"

"This is what's good for all of us, Shikamaru." Temari muttered to me as she wailed on Sasori again. "You and that sergeant would never understand. I want to enjoy this, for what he did to our father."

He just laughed as he coughed up more blood, spitting at Temari. "Stupid bitch. They'll find you…and they'll kill you, hanging you out to dry like the dog you are."

"Temari don't do it!" I pleaded. "This isn't right! This isn't the justice you want!"

She picked him up and slugged him in the chest before letting Kankuro have a crack at him. She turned to me with utter hate in her eyes. "And just what the fuck is the 'right' justice, Shikamaru? A tribunal? Some show trial? The man isn't even worth it. He nearly kills Naruto and Inari and you have the nerve to say that we shouldn't be the ones administering the justice? I said I wanted to enjoy this, so you and your Leaf Army can take a back seat." She turned around to pummel Sasori some more. I grabbed her shoulder and almost on impulse she drew her knife. "Don't be like this, Shikamaru! Don't do this to me with what this monster's done!"

"Temari! Stop it!" I didn't even bring my rifle to bear. I couldn't. "We have to go! Just take him!"

"Oh stop it with your bullshit! You and that sergeant aren't going to do a thing!"

From the corner of my eye, I saw someone stomping over and certainly on the warpath. Shit…it was the sergeant. I guess he caught wind of Temari's insulting and threatening.

"Temari, put the knife down. C'mon …put it down. I'm serious."

"Yeah? As am I!" She was totally oblivious as she waved her blade around. Right before my eyes, Sarutobi had instantly grabbed her arm, twisted it behind her back, and forced her to walk towards Sasori. She grunted in pain and let go of the knife all the while, completely overtaken by Sarutobi's strength. Walking with her in tow, Kankuro turned only to get a boot to the chest and off of Sasori. Before Sasori even had the time to see the steely gaze of the sergeant, Sarutobi took out his Colt and fired four rounds into his chest. He was dead before he even hit the ground. I just stood there, mouth agape, as Sarutobi spat on his corpse and pushed Temari off to the side. Then he turned to her and just glared at her, Temari actually cowering from fear. Before she could defend he slammed his fist right into her gut, forcing her to kneel and gasp for air.

"Jesus! Sergeant! What are you doing?" I stepped forward but one look stopped me cold. Kankuro was also frozen in his tracks, and it was smart of him to do that lest he catch the same beating.

He let out a massive sigh, his fist remaining clenched staring down at the struggling woman. "Up until now I've been tolerant of this shit you've got going and I was willing to overlook the threats that I gave before because I also felt the sting of losing someone dear. But I think my patience has run dry with you and your brother. You ever…EVER…insult me, restrain MY soldiers, and put everyone at risk like that carrying around your personal vendetta again, and I will beat seven shades of shit out of you and leave you to the wolves. I'll kill your little brother here for personal satisfaction too, just to prove a point!" That last line threw me for a loop. There was no way he could've been serious about that, could he? "Now get up." He grabbed her hair and yanked her up, her lungs still desperate for a clear breath but still squeaking out a cry of pain. "GET UP!"

"Sergeant!"

One finger pointed directly at my chest as he continued to fume at Temari. "Shut the fuck up, Nara! Your girlfriend's 'priorities' nearly got my nephew killed, MY fucking nephew! Put a leash on her otherwise I will do just fucking that. Get these two and get moving. We're leaving here now." With that he shoved Temari in my direction and stormed back off, lighting his first cigarette in disregard of all tactics. I was not about to debate this with him.

I turned to Temari, who was already shaken and dirty as hell with Sasori's blood on her uniform and hands. She was still barely regaining her breath, but her eyes returned to the innocent beautiful turquoise. As troublesome as this woman was, I couldn't be completely livid with her.

"Hey…" Slinging my rifle, I put my hand on her shoulder and helped her walk to her knife. "You all right?"

I thought I saw a trickle or two leave her eyes. "Yeah. Yeah I'm ok."

"Temari." Not even really thinking about it, when she sheathed her knife I pulled her in and wrapped my arms around her. "It's all right. It's all right." I could hear her sniffling.

"Shikamaru…"

"It's ok."

"I miss my family and…and my home. I-I miss my baby brother. That man…"

I held her as she gripped my side. "I know, I know. I'm here though. I'll always be here."

"He took…everything from us. They all did."

"Not everything though. You have your own life, your brother's, and you still have your rifle. We'll get through this and you will see your home again."

"Shikamaru."

"C'mon. We gotta get out of here. The Sound'll be on our trail, no doubt."

She pulled away and looked at me with a somber nod. "Yeah, you're right. Kankuro, let's get out of here."

Kankuro was still sitting there, still looking at who was the Sand traitor Sasori. "Yeah…let's go, sis." I helped pull him up and with his weapons slung slugged through the wet ground and back to the squad.

As Kankuro shifted back into Naruto's group, Temari passed by and moved up to the front. Choji stopped me while picking up the MG42 he had.

"Hey Shikamaru…everything ok?"

"I, I think so. I dunno. I don't feel so sure."

"Yeah, I know man. The sergeant…"

"Shouldn't be talkin' about it Choji. Let's just go."

"Nice one icin' that traitor guy, Asuma." Sergeant Mitarashi congratulated with that iconic wild grin of hers. "Cold-blooded of ya."

"No time for niceties, Anko. We've already scavenged what we could. We're moving out. Private," he turned to Konohamaru and helped him up, "you're gonna be with me. You won't be able to walk so well and we don't really have any stretchers, so I'll get some of your weight. We head to the next sheltered area and take a pause to orient ourselves east."

"Uzumaki," Mitarashi snapped, "you've got the Water guy. Help him walk too."

"Roger that, sarge."

"Ok let's get moving. Sound will be on our asses soon and we need to make ourselves scarce. Get through the clearing and off to that thick area to our eleven o'clock. Nara, lead the way."

"Yes, sergeant." I raced up to Temari and got to start plotting the course. The adrenaline was starting to fade, but now was no time to crash. I brushed up beside her. "Let's get to some cover, and then we'll rest. Think we both need it, yeah?"

"Yeah…definitely…" She muttered back keeping pace with me.

We made ourselves scarce from the clearing in a matter of fifteen minutes. It took a bit longer to get Konohamaru and Inari into a rhythm that wasn't making them grunt out in pain every other step. When we reached the next set of forested areas, I couldn't help but stop and look back at the horizon behind me. We were through with one set of troubles and likely entering another, but as I turned I imagined the body of that man lying there in the grass and leaves. I saw Temari's back to me, walking with an almost defeated slogging through the ground. Her brother just had an empty look on his face as well, absolutely nothing to say about what had just transpired. Everything they had fought for and the grim reminder of why laid there on the shrubs and dead leaves. Justice was indeed delivered, but it wasn't what he and likely his sister had hoped for. In that brutal moment from Sergeant Sarutobi, a man they had wanted to bring to answer for his crimes never really got the punishment from the people who most deserved to give it. It must've felt so anti-climatic for them. But the sergeant was there to prove a point. The traitor Sasori had also endangered the lives of his own men and women, got his little nephew badly hurt, and would've ultimately jeopardized the integrity of the platoon waiting for them back home. As I watched the sergeant with this grim look on his face, I could only pity the man. He's been through twice the hell Ino, Choji, and I have ever been through and yet I've never seen a man carry such strength to lead and persevere. But this place was warping his mind, the mission warping his sense of judgment. I fought the feeling that he would've done such a thing in any other situation. My father had once told me that war makes monsters of everyone. I would've pointed him in the direction of Choji, Naruto, and even Konohamaru to counter, but this mission and what I've seen from the sergeant and even the woman I love destroyed the comfort I had in my previous answer. It was amazing that after all I've seen I have been able to maintain myself. Temari had her reasons, doubtless, for getting angry and vindictive. Sergeant Sarutobi though, I only hoped he'd be all right. Everything he has said to me, everything that I have looked up to him for, and everything that I had hoped for he and I through the war…was it all about to go to pieces?

What's happening?


	44. Chapter 44

So close yet so far. So very close, yet so very far. The border to Kusa was like the fabled oasis of the desert. The previous conflict had left the map in near tatters. I feared we were going to be stuck on this forsaken patch of Earth until we were all dead.

Temari and I had led the group to a small rocky outpost alongside an old trail. There was enough shelter for us, even if it was just fallen trees and jutting boulders. Rain had started to fall followed by a low roar of thunder in the far distance. This was likely to slow the Sound patrols that were haranguing us continuously. Since the last skirmish we had where we lost six, we had avoided another patrol and another bugged out for some reason before they even saw us, as if there was some other report of an attack. I wonder who'd be so ballsy to attack the Sound when they're already on high alert. Well…as long as it wasn't us, right?

Temari had fallen asleep by a mossy rock sticking some seven feet above the ground. How it even got there I hadn't the foggiest. She looked so peaceful for a change, finally getting some mental tranquility after what had transpired before. Next to her sat Konohamaru, who was trying desperately to rest but suffered from the the pain waking him back up. Ino sat beside Choji who was simply sitting with machine gun rested at the rear. She was asleep, he was not. It seemed she had reverted to a rare moment of comfort. I only hoped she stayed that way for a while because I knew it'd come back sooner or later. Kankuro stood watch by his sister, his trademark camo face paint all but worn away. Naruto sat mouth agape and eyes firmly shut, the little satchel of his resting gently in the palm of his hand and tied to the button of his sleeve. That little Water private and the co-pilot shared a piece of shelter together. They looked like children after a huge game of tag, some with smiles of a respite long overdue.

It had been past another hour since we bailed on that entire area and our bodies were near the breaking point. I had caught about twenty minutes of shut-eye but it was more a tease than a help. I along with a few others kept watch as the rain pattered along the wet stones. Sarutobi had told Sergeant Mitarashi to go rest and surprisingly was met with no protest but instead a thanks. The rain picked up a little bit, and in all of it, the area looked so serene. For a second I hadn't thought about the Sound or the fact we were miles away from friendly forces. It was just us, barely twenty or so. Sarutobi had rested himself aside one of the medium-sized rocks that guarded him from the wind. There he had another cigarette lit, the second this entire time. He needed it. I could tell from the drained look on his face.

"Nara…" His voice snuck through the pitter patter of the raindrops. A simple gesture of the fingers was aimed at me.

I quickly got over and inquired. "Yes, sergeant?"

"What's on your mind, corporal? Ya look…pensive."

"Nothing really, sergeant."

"Heh…can't bullshit me, Nara." He smiled ever so quickly before removing it. "It's about what I did back there. I can feel it."

"Just didn't feel…"

"Right? What has been right this entire mission, Nara? Look at these poor kids. Look at Yamanaka. Odds are she'll be scarred for the rest of her life. Look at that little Takigawa trooper. Poor girl's seventeen and has seen enough to make a grown woman cry herself in a corner. My own nephew, Nara, screamed for me to help him as he lay there bleeding. How old are you again?"

"I'm, uh, twenty-four, sergeant."

"Really? Damn…thought you were older." He sighed. "I'm thirty-seven, Nara. I'm a grown man."

"But sergeant…"

"What I've seen go down here this whole time is the stuff that only I could deal with, leading a ragtag group of kids and foreigners through hell. What I did there was me saying that I'm at my point. The man was a traitor. He deserved the end he received. As for your woman, Nara, I'm sorry I slugged her one. There was just something about her and her brother and all this crap that finally drove me over the edge. When I saw my nephew still crying like the scared boy he is, something had to be done and no one else was gonna do it right in my opinion, not even your girlfriend. Deep down, I wish they'd shot the bastard on the spot and gotten their revenge. Can't figure out why they wanted to keep him alive."

"They wanted him to suffer, I guess."

"Didn't seem to work. But I'm serious, Nara. I look like a bastard for what I did, but you should understand why I did such a thing. I'm the leader, Nara. That's who I am. I look after these people. I cut the cords off the risks. I shot that bastard dead to show your woman and her brother just that…that I'm in charge. The man was a scumbag and he nearly got us killed. I could no longer keep that train rolling just for the sentimentalities of a nation I've never been to nor will ever."

"And you meant all you said?" I sternly asked. I loved Temari, and I respected the sarge, but I wasn't comforted by what he had to say.

"Yes…and no. I'm…I'm just tired, Nara. I've been getting this way losing soldier after soldier. I've seen young men and women like you meeting their end so abruptly, when it should be me or the other older folks. I'm losing it Nara…it's just becoming too much to look at, like when that poor Sand kid died aside his brother and sister or when the Hyuga boy got blown up and his cousin left to grieve or when Yamanaka fell into that…that pit. Even I have a limit."

I was bewildered. "This is absurd. You're Sergeant Sarutobi, toughest sum'bitch I ever saw."

He chuckled. "Don't be stupid, Nara. It doesn't suit you. I'm not that tough. I'm still human. I mean…ah…don't worry about my ramblings. Maybe I'm just tired after all."

I smiled in response. "Yeah…we're just all tired."

A few minutes passed, and then Sarutobi rifled through his coat pockets to uncover a folded document, surrounded with other miscellaneous junk likely there to protect it.

"Nara…never told you, did I?"

"What?"

"That I had a lady."

"Course ya did, sarge."

"Heh, thought so. Must be getting senile already then. Here…but be careful otherwise I'll beat you somethin' fierce if I see so much as one little tear."

I unfolded the paper and my eyes widened. In the picture there stood Sarutobi in something other than a uniform, a simple white shirt with suspenders, rough denim work pants, and hard-soled boots. But he wasn't who I was really eyeballing. Next to him was a breathtakingly beautiful woman, dark-haired with fine waves and a face of an angel. Her eyes looked exotic of sorts, the quality of the picture denying me the true color of them. I was short of breath. This was Sarutobi's woman. "Wow…"

"She's a beaut, ain't she? Her name's Kurenai. She and I were sweethearts in our twenties, but we married late. She was always a good woman…fair, honest, and protective. She's the reason I came back to Konoha. She's the reason why I keep fighting. Got a son too."

"Wha-what?" The way he said that so casually again nearly blew my mind. He showed me one more picture, one of he and his wife Kurenai sitting and cooing a little baby boy with a tuft of that brown hair just like the sergeant's. It was scary to see such a gruff man so gentle with the little hand of a child.

"Yep…just now five years old and keepin' on. Little Hiro Sarutobi. Strong little bugger he is…stubborn too. Takes after his old man." He looked off to the distance, a smile hiding some sort of pain. "Haven't seen him since he was a little over three. I get letters sometimes from him and the missus, maybe a picture, but that's about it. He's been getting big."

"Sergeant…"

"It's a whole new ballgame once you have a wife and kids, Nara. Let me sternly warn you. If you kids are fortunate enough to live through this mess, I hope you'll endure it under better times."

"Got a long way to go, sarge. Choji, Naruto, and I…"

"You say that now, kiddo. Gotta stop clinging to your laziness, Nara. Look at Akimichi. Poor guy has personally taken the burden of Yamanaka's deteriorating health, and he acknowledges it. Uzumaki over there didn't seem to ever get a break and don't think I hadn't ever noticed his recent fixation on the medic from Uchiha's squad. How about you, though? One day something'll come…"

"Sergeant, stop with that, please." My tone was defiant all right. I was sick of hearing this heart-jumping line.

"Shut up, corporal. I'm serious." He took a pause to snuff his cigarette as the wind picked up, flowing through our heads and cooling the mixed rain and sweat from our brows. "I want you do something for me, Nara."

My heart went fluttery. It wasn't the "I'm about to die!" fear, but more the anxiety of a cold, harsh possibility.

He pointed to one of his inside pockets in his jacket. "Inside here is a letter, to my wife and son. If the reaper decides to knock on my door…"

"Sergeant, stop."

"No. You're going to open your ears and listen like a man. If I die, corporal, I want you and only you to deliver this to my family."

"I…I uh…"

"Quite frankly Nara since this war began and since I raised you up from a private…I haven't been able to trust anyone else as much. Anko? Yeah, she's good but I don't want her doin' it. Can't have Yamanaka or Akimichi do it either…nor the captain. I want you to do it, Nara. You've been my guy from the start."

"Sergeant, I…I can't."

"Hey now…" He cut me off with a halfhearted smile. "That's an order now. Ya get me, corporal?"

I nodded begrudgingly but with that strong respect for Sarutobi that I've always had. "Yes, sergeant, I understand. I'm your man." He stuck his hand out in what blew me away. He wanted a handshake, as if we were peers, or dare I say friends. My hand quivered totally unsure of whether to take it or not, but I did. "Pray that such a thing never comes to pass. It'd be an awful pain if it did." The last line I tried to let out as a joke, but in the back of my mind I couldn't shake the unease. "Rest a bit, sergeant. You deserve it."

"Me…?" I could see his eyes fluttering. "No rest…for the wicked…Nara." It didn't take very long but he finally passed out. Lord knew he needed it more than any of us. But he had a smile on his face, something that hadn't really come out this mission. It had to have been the fatigue. He sat there, pack of cigarettes half-tucked into his pocket to which I had to push in, but with a slight smile on his face.

Choji turned for a hot second and saw me shuffle back to my position. He smiled and then looked over to Ino who was like a lamb at this present moment. There he tapped her boot lightly and rubbed her ankle while paying careful attention to the knife wound she suffered a little while back, miraculously without waking her. He and I were on the same wavelength. We couldn't rest. We had people to watch over, those we cared for. From the corner of my eye I saw Sergeant Mitarashi open just for a brief moment at Sarutobi and smirk. I really do think if he wasn't married she would've gobbled him up in an instant.

The rain obscured our vision somewhat, but it was rather cleansing. My hair had been caked with dirt, sweat, and blood. My pores felt like pin pricks were inserting themselves in on occasion, but the rain was finally ridding me of that pain. I regretted not taking the first rest, instead being oh so chivalrous and giving it to an already mentally spent Temari, who had just winced and fallen back asleep as drops of water ran the grime off her face. Staring through the scope was hard, my hands feeling numb trying to adjust the sight picture. Now normally I'd just be relying on my own two eyeballs as my sniper training would dictate, but the rain wasn't making it very easy for stick to the basics. I could've sworn I saw figures in the distance, especially up ahead of us, but I was so tired. One or two little shadows popped around in the distance, but I guess when we were done resting we'd either be out of their way or I'd confirm it was all a figment of my imagination.

We were right about our assessment hampering the Sound's pursuit. Judging by the lack of presence after about a half-hour of just staying put and hiding, we had assumed the shock of the other attacks or the rain itself were limiting their capabilities. I somewhat doubted the latter. The Sound was relentless. They wouldn't have been in the winner's circle for quite some time had they not been relentless. They just picked a fight with the wrong nation. Just so happened that for every piece of land we took from them we and many others paid for it bitterly. Kumo was a place that made me realize that, with their military in tatters and scattered into small pockets before we eventually took it back and they formed up into just a remnant of what they once were.

Just what was the sergeant prattling on about? Choji saw the look of utter concern on my face, the face that showed something behind the cynical yet flat look. He must figure that Sarutobi told me something that I just did not want to hear, and he was right for the most part. I know what he was trying to tell me, that I was some sort of sergeant material, a successor to the path that he laid out. Well…I didn't want it. I don't want it. Stick me in a reserve platoon and make me buck sergeant? That's all fine and dandy. But for me to become the newest line of tragic events since I got into this cluster? Hells no. Keep me out of it. There's no pecking line for this bullshit. Yeah Hinata lost Neji, Temari and Kankruo lost Gaara, Naruto lost Captain Umino, and Mr. and Mrs. Yamanaka died, but I wasn't going to fall in line with the maudlin troupe. No way. I'd do everything in my damn power to make sure I didn't. I just…I just hate that kind of talk like it's some sort of foresight. Nothing was going to happen to him…right?

I felt like minutes melted away, but when I checked my watch only twenty minutes had actually passed. The fatigue was killing me. Against the tree my head felt like lolling back and planting it on there for a good three hours, but such carelessness would make me stay there permanently. Hard smacks fell upon my shoulder, but I dismissed it as rain. Finally after a minute of it and my senses trying to figure out what was going on, I felt a tight grip. Instinctively I pulled away and braced myself, my own tiredness making me delusional. It was Temari. She looked a little less worse for wear than before.

"Jesus…"

"I'll say. Shift's up. Besides I couldn't sleep much anymore. You need yours though."

I couldn't fight the yawn. "Yeah…ok."

As I struggled to get myself up she must've seen something because her thumb lined along my cheek, the bare skin through the glove feeling like something special. I felt entranced.

She just smiled and pecked me on my cheek. "You just had some gunk on your face, idiot. Get over yourself."

There was an awkward pause between us. "Um…right. I'm gonna sleep now."

Pressing myself up on the rock next to Ino, I saw the utter calm on her face, a poor girl finally getting some sort of respite. Again though, that light smile on her face made me feel like we were the trio all over again and nothing could stop us. Unfortunately that was very much to be determined. I then took a look at Temari, kneeling beside the tree adjusting her rifle scope. God…to have nerves of steel like that woman. Sure she broke down a bit when the sarge executed Sasori, but she quickly returned to normal. Was it a clever ruse? Probably not. That was just Temari, and that something was part of why I couldn't ever hate her. She was a mess with grime on her face, clothes disheveled, and her hair was clumped all over her head with leaves and dirt, but she still looked absolutely marvelous.

"Temari…" My eyelids filled with weights, raindrops trickling themselves into my scalp with a cool rush of feeling, "you gorgeous woman…wish I could…hate you…" And then it went dark. I finally got some sleep.

I didn't dream, first time in a long time with situations like these. All there was around me was the wind and the rain. It was a cacophony that finally made me relax despite us being in the worst of predicaments. I wanted to be home though. I wanted to be under this rock, back home, watching the rain fall…with my friends, with Sarutobi, and with her. Tired, I was just so friggin' tired. My arms and legs felt limp as my eyes stayed shut. But through the noise of nature, I thought I heard something. It sounded like…chuckling of sorts, and a rather nasty tone at that. It sounded all too familiar and that started to chill me to the bone. It got louder, carried through the wind until it pierced my eardrum.

I woke up gasping and fumbling for my rifle, which was in my lap the whole time. I feared something had gone terribly wrong. But when I looked around, it was as time had frozen. Temari was still on watch. Choji was still by his MG42. Ino was still asleep as was the sergeant. Everyone else around me who had traded the shift along with Temari were still ever vigilant. Weird…all too weird. My eyes drifted back down, the little jolt of adrenaline running empty, and before I knew it I was back in slumber, hearing only my breath.

"Hey…hey sleepyhead…c'mon an' get up." My head jostled under the shaking. When my vision finally cleared it was Temari staring down again. "Lazybones…you've been out for about an hour."

"Wh…what? What in God's name…were we doing so late?"

"Command decision…don't ask me."

"Nara!" Sarutobi's voice carried through the wind and chatter like a flawless blade. "Get on point again! We're moving out! Stayed here for too long."

"_Command decision, huh?_" I smirked sarcastically as I passed by the sergeant. Seems his whole gushy aspect was purged good and proper. Muttering some angry words I slogged on. Behind me I could hear the young Konohamaru struggling to get a rhythm in his walk, but one of the Water troops was there to assist Naruto.

I signaled to get Temari's attention and she got to me, side by side.

"Temari…you notice anything strange?"

"Given the recent set of circumstances you'll have to be more specific."

"Before the break and during my shift…I thought I saw something. Looked like two or three people, dressed in some sorta dark green and black."

"Sound?" She turned alarmed just like that.

"Shouldn't be. A sniper team wouldn't dare go after twenty-plus people, and a regular search patrol is much larger than that."

"Scout team?"

"Possibly. I mean they should know this area already but without their planes I see what you mean. Dunno though…they looked different somehow."

"Well shit, did you tell the sergeants?"

"I did and all they said was just to steer clear of wherever they were heading."

She had that "I'm not amused" face on again. "Sound advice, no?"

"Best advice they could give, given the situation."

"Yeah…true. Let's just keep watch."

There were some keen eyes in the remnants of our task force, and even keener wits, but something was aching in the back of my mind over what I saw…or thought I saw. Something told me we were being led into a trap or something horribly awry. The others would likely think of me as nuts save for Sarutobi, but all he told me to do was just steer clear of wherever I thought those shadowy figures would tell me to go.

The rain continued to come down. Those boots and socks we so desperately tried to keep dry were starting to fail upon us. Shit…I remember one of the big things when we were getting out of basic training. Those demons of drill sergeants couldn't shut the fuck up about foot powder and changing socks. I mean, truer words were never spoken, but God how annoying it was, and here in epic irony those words come crawling back to me. True to form, Sarutobi made sure we were doing that. Choji took care of Ino's feet given her leg wound, that soft look of appreciation in her eyes again, likely melting that big idiot's heart. Then again I helped Temari with her feet as well, clearly throwing my whole mantra of not being a chivalrous schmuck out the window. What should've been things of beauty looked bruised and pruned. I donated my pair of socks to her and needless to say it scores some serious brownie points. Nevertheless, we were all worse for wear and on our last supplies. Socks were down to nigh zero as well as any powder we had scavenged. The coffee grounds were depleted and I could've sworn Sarutobi was on his last few cigs. Canteens were now being shared it got that bad. That plane crash and losing or shedding half our supplies was killing us and it was barely a day. Worst part of it was we had to keep carrying everything we ate or drank, but I understood. The Sound could track us in no time if we were careless. Nothing could be spared, save for…save for the dead. There was no home burial for them. There couldn't be…except for the names in our minds and their sacrifices necessary to stop the terror the Sound had unleashed. If only Shino was here. He'd have something eloquent to say about all of it. I'm no good at this crap.

We were still a good distance away from the closest edge of the border that was passable by our standards. What was closer was a nice cliff just waiting for someone to slip, fall, and go splat, which I was pretty sure given our walking wounded wasn't going to end up nicely. Yeah…fuck that.

Hobbling along we had reached a small river, but this time lacking any serious footholds and with a bank too steep to easily get over. It looked nearly impassible until Choji, Naruto, Inari, Sarutobi, and I managed to find a weak tree to knock down, wide enough to shimmy across but not so huge it was an impossible task. Took fucking forever to do it and our hands were good and messy with lichen and dirt but we did it. Gotta say even I felt savage pride being able to do that…something to tell my future kids should that ever come to pass. My more immature side saw it as a way to show off in front of Ino and Temari, so that it wasn't always Choji getting the attention. That didn't last too long though.

Getting the tree down was one part, but as mentioned earlier we had to shimmy or tightrope across this thing. Temari and I wagered who would go first. She lost and without a peep carefully side-stepped her way across, scanning and with the thumbs up gave us the ok move. I held Choji's weapons while he piggybacked Ino to get across. Getting Konohamaru took some serious effort, but Sarutobi inch by inch hauled him across, even if the kid was groaning in pain every time they moved. I could hear the sergeant calmly assuring his nephew as they moved. It was seriously something out of one of those sappy movies they play about the Great War nowadays but God damn it was touching. I went over next. Fancy footwork was the name of the game, and with a bouncing MP40 on my back it couldn't have been more annoying trying to maintain balance. Oh I could hear Temari snickering like the devil woman she was. Now wasn't the time for damn humor and I made sure through my snarls I got that point across. Didn't really work out that well considering she upgraded to verbal jabs about being "twinkle toes" and keep telling me not to fall…shucks.

Everyone had made it across, and Naruto in typical Naruto fashion nearly fell off and had to climb himself back on. What should've prompted me to be alarmed instead elicited an amicable form of disgust, if such a thing was even possible. And even when he barely fell he kept that typical shit-eating grin on his face. Only him…

Temari and I raced back up to take point. She kept up with her jabs, so I felt a nice and subtle trip would put her in her place. Oh she was hopping mad when I laughed at her expense and threatened me over the aforementioned trip, but I paid little heed. What comes around, goes around.

After she let out her steam, particularly with a few attempts to put a boot up my ass and my retaliatory snark, things pretty much went back to serious patrolling. Upon retrospect I hadn't a clue what got us in such a silly mood. I assumed we were just still so very tired and nigh delirious. What we would've done to find an uninhabited cave and set up a damn fire…warm our hands and feet and have some hot chow. It made me think just what Choji was feeling. Big lug would get peckish at the worst moments. When we were getting assaulted in that church in Kumo, immediately after the Sound emerged I could hear his stomach growl through the ruined halls. Ino gave him an earful for no good reason afterwards…entertaining doubtless, but I still had to stick up for him. Now I know how he felt on a regular basis. Of course as soon as I turn to look he's nibbling on whatever pieces of crackers he still had intact and carefully sipping his half-empty canteen.

"Nara, move up ahead past the vegetation. Uzumaki, get your ass up there again and give 'im some firepower."

"Got it." The both of us agreed in unison. Temari stayed behind to provide security. Couldn't afford to lose more numbers in case something goes awry in the recon, so that means the most logical choice is to send me an' Naruto up there, right? Wonderful.

With Naruto about five feet behind me we sought the easiest path through the plants, taking that extra precaution not to get whacked in the face by an errant branch.

Naruto was my buddy and dependable with that B.A.R., that was for sure, but it didn't invoke a lot of confidence that it was just me and him. I had a funny feeling that we were still being watched. Naruto seemingly shared my belief, changing his demeanor from overconfident to cautious in the blink of an eye. The rest of the group was well behind us, I'd say a good three or four hundred meters behind. I had a penchant for beating feet when it came to scouting. The sooner I get to the objective the sooner I could get back to safety…yeah I'm that into self-preservation.

We heard twigs snapping. The both of us froze dead in our tracks and got in the prone. Naruto slowly slid his bipod legs into the extended position. Meanwhile my Springfield was going back at the ready. We were still in some thick leaves so it would be hard to tell, but luckily the small bump we were in gave us some slight concealment.

Naruto tapped my boot to get my attention. As I turned he pointed to his eyes and shrugged. "_See anything?_"

I scanned the area as best as I could with my scope. When it turned up approximately zilch I peered over quickly. There seemed to be nothing. "_No idea._" I tapped my left ear. "_Keep those ears and eyes open though. Not too hard, right?_"

He pursed his lips like I was being Mr. Obvious. Then they opened to the familiar lip movements of "No shit." Good to know, champ. When he turned, I had noticed the scribbling he wrote on the back of his jacket were all but faded. I'm surprised I hadn't noticed it sooner…damn pity it was.

We waited a minute. Judging by the lack of noise behind, Sarutobi must've figured we stopped and thus did the same thing. Always the perceptive one, he is. I gave Naruto the thumbs up and we advanced.

We advanced a little farther until something caught my eye. "Naruto!" I hissed.

"What?"

"Look." I pointed to the ground, a little off our right side. From the looks of it I initially thought it was a rock or something, but then I noticed the distinctive helmet of a Sound soldier. Next to it was a few bits of kit but that was it.

"Dead soldier's stuff from the first fights here?"

"Dunno…looks sorta new."

Naruto slunk over to take a closer look and turned to me with a concerned look. "Yeah it looks more recent all right…but it took some damage. Creepy."

"Yeah, stay alert. I've got a bad feeling about this."

Suddenly a voice was heard through the rainfall.

"Jesus…get down!" Naruto yanked me down before I could do the same to him.

The rain and wind made it difficult to pick it up again, but eventually we heard it clear as day. It sounded female, faint, and…sad? It almost sounded like…

"Is that crying?" Naruto whispered.

"Sounds like it." We could hear it through the wind. It carried a low wail and whine mixed with gasps for breath.

"Mommaaaaaaa…" The voice rang out intermingled with sobs and whines. "Mommmaaaaaaa…"

Naruto and I both looked at each other. A kid…out here?

"The fuck is a little girl doing all the way out here?" Naruto asked me, as if I knew the answer. Matter of fact I didn't even know where this crying was coming from. Something wasn't right here. Ain't no logical way a little girl is out here, in the middle of the forests, in the Rain Nation, all by herself.

"I call bullshit…something's up."

"Can't ya take a look?"

"I was going to…hold on." I sternly replied. My ears first focused on the origin of the sobbing. It was slightly to the left of us. I could see a light clearing, about a twenty foot radius or so, with some fallen trees. "I think I…I…there! There she is! See her?"

Naruto peered over the fallen branches to get a better look. He nodded. "Yeah…it is a little girl. What the hell is going on?"

The poor thing looked in tatters with matted brown hair and dirk caked all over her arms. I looked around, because something was clearly amiss. However, to my surprise, there wasn't a soul around that I could get a bead on. I had a knack for even finding camouflaged soldiers but there didn't seem to be anyone.

"It's clear, Naruto. I don't see anyone, but stay sharp. This kid is in a dangerous spot." The lump in my throat was that of a fist. Closer and closer we came but the kid was still crying. Naruto scanned to his left and I did my right and still we didn't sense a soul nearby. Then when we cleared through the small trees and emerged, the kid stopped to look at us, still sniffling. Her eyes were sore and face wet from the mix of rain and salty tears. Naruto and I slowly approached and he slung his rifle. She was still paralyzed. Had she never seen the likes of other soldiers before?

"Little girl? Hey…hey little girl. It's ok." Naruto tried cooing in an almost fatherly manner. "Are you lost or something?" She scooted back a bit in fear. "No, no! It's ok. We're from the Leaf Army, from Konoha. We're good guys. He's one too, see?"

I looked at the kid and muttered something in agreement. I was more looking around making sure someone wasn't going to paste us what with all the noise the kid was making.

"Where are ya comin' from, little girl? You lost?" The kid didn't answer.

I decided to step in. "Have you seen anybody in gray with guns pass by here?" She nodded which was pleasing to my eyes. "And which way did the bad men in grey go?" She pointed off to our left. "Make a note of that, Naruto."

"Got it." He knelt down. "Here…" He unfurled a small piece of chocolate still intact. "Have some of this." The kid graciously accepted it despite shaking with fear. "That's better. Now…you're lookin' for your mommy? Where did you come from?"

She didn't answer this time.

"Where was the last place you saw your mom, little girl? We can help you find her if you can tell us." Of course that last part was a bit of an exaggeration. We were in no form to go on a parent hunt.

Again she kept silent. Naruto got up. "Maybe we should tell the others and let her get her thoughts straight."

"Yeah sounds like a good idea. We'll wait for…" As I turned my head the kid just up and bolted down the forest path. "Hey! Little girl!"

"Son of a bitch!" Naruto was caught unawares for a second before he took off after her. "Little girl! Get back here! It's dangerous all alone!"

"Naruto!" I tried to catch up to him but he was sprinting like a jackrabbit. My face was getting peppered by the small twigs and leaves all around. I saw Naruto advance even farther but still struggling to catch up to this speed demon of a child. She just had more maneuverability through this crap. He disappeared before my eyes as I kept running through. "Naruto!"

Fifteen seconds later I reached another section of forest scattered with boulders. "Naruto! Where'd ya go?" As I advanced I could hear a yelp of surprise and right above me Naruto was flung up, desperately clinging to his weapon and what appeared to be a rope tied around his ankle. His rifle finally jerked out of his hand. "SHIT!" I ran to where he was finally suspended and before I even had a chance to react a hard object suddenly smacked me in the collarbone and I was on my back, gasping for air since the impact knocked the wind outta me something fierce. The rain felt so strong smacking me in the face. Then, out of nowhere, a blond yet dark-skinned man stared down at me with a rifle pointed in the same direction.

"Don't…move…a muscle. Do so and I shoot you in the face."

"Ughhhh…" I groaned, and then came that cold steel of the muzzle right at my forehead. I was hurting, but I kept pretty damn still.

"Whatcha got, sarge?" He cried out.

I heard some rustling to my left. As I tried to get a look, a hard boot pressed on my chest. Other footsteps followed and around me about seven or eight other shadowy figures emerged.

"I said don't fucking move! Sergeant?"

"Yeah, yeah…I heard ya." It was a woman that sounded somewhat like Sergeant Mitarashi, but a bit younger.

"Get me fuckin' down from here ya Soundie shits! Fight me like a man!" Naruto hissed wildly.

"Shaddap!" Another woman barked at him. "For all we know you're fuckin' Soundies."

"Well what do we have here? Another couple of Sound suckers that somehow we haven't killed yet. I'm tellin' ya the little Yumi kid works like a charm." I felt another boot upon my chest while the other released itself. Staring up I saw a pale woman with a stern yet somewhat uncaring look in her eyes. She must've been the sergeant they were referring to, pistol right in front of me rather unceremoniously. "Where were you two little campers running off to?"

"Uniforms…fuckin' uniforms…" I muttered, still shaky in breath.

"What was that?"

"Sounded like lip, sarge."

"Possibly, corporal." Her boot pressed into my cheek. I couldn't get a word out.

"Let's just take their stuff now and ditch 'em. The Sound's been buggin' out anyway since those Leafers and Water guys started flyin' overhead. With their defenses going nuts we're gonna need more supplies and these two Soundies are just the guys."

"We're not Sound!" Naruto yelled back to the man.

"Leaf…we're…Leafffff…" I struggled to get out.

The other woman came to my direction now. "Leaf…from Konoha? I don't believe it."

"Me neither."

"Wait a second," the guy stepped over to Naruto's rifle, "this doesn't look like a Sound weapon."

"Yeah well this one's got one of their submachine guns."

"Enough stalling! Let's take their shit and go! Strip 'em!"

Naruto was cut down and landed hard next to me. Hungry eyes and hands went for our gear. We tried to fight back with all our might but we kept getting pinned down by the man and that corporal woman. She was having some fun smacking Naruto around while I kicked the other man off me and took out my pistol.

"Don't move! Nobody fucking move!" I yelled aiming it straight at the corporal. "Get your hands off of Private Uzumaki…right now. I will blow your brains out if you don't." Slowly she released her grip after getting a good slug in. Naruto seemed to take it like a champ though.

"Big fucking mistake."

"You'll both be dead before you pull the trigger!"

Loud footsteps were heard behind me along with the cocking of several weapons…music to my ears. The voice I heard afterwards was the angelic choir to follow.

"No…they won't. Let go of my friends, right now." Temari barked with rifle pointed straight at the one called the sergeant.

"I would listen to the little lady if I were you." The gravelly voice behind her was the one and only Sarutobi. "She's got an itchy trigger finger and she don't miss often."

The corporal aimed her rifle at Temari, and Ino aimed right back. The standoff was upon us, both sides hissing insults and threats.

"Fucking looters trying to kill our soldiers?" Sergeant Mitarashi growled. She looked like she was ready for a fight all over again.

The sergeant took a step back but gathered her composure. "Just who the hell are you?"

"We're townies dressin' up for shits and giggles…no we're the fucking Leaf Army and Water Airborne! Who the fuck are you?"

"That ain't important to you!"

"The fuck it ain't!"

The man grabbed me by the throat and pressed his gun against me. I nearly crapped my pants. Sarutobi simply aimed his weapon at him with a steely gaze that'd go through his skull. "Make one move towards my corporal or Private Uzumaki and it'll be the last move you make."

"Bullshit!"

From the corner of my eye I noticed what I thought was familiar insignia. I thought I had seen it before from somewhere but the situation was all too chaotic for me to think straight, both sides still yelling enough for the Sound to coordinate a proper ambush on the both of us. It looks like some sort of round-edged rectangles followed by the word "Highlanders." They looked familiar…they looked so familiar.

"Your two men are dead should you do something this stupid, whoever you are." The sergeant jeered at Sarutobi.

"Wait..." I muttered.

"You let him go!" Temari snarled at the man.

"Make me!"  
"Wait…" I said a little louder.

"Somebody get this bitch off of me!" Naruto angrily cried out as the corporal grabbed him by the head and did the same thing her compatriot did.

"You bloody lot are all takin' the piss, ain't ya?" A Water soldier yelled back. "You're as good as dead if ya do this."

"Make the first move, then!"

It finally clicked. These people…it finally came back to me. I knew who they were! "WAIT!" I yelled. "DON'T SHOOT! NOBODY FUCKING SHOOT!" I turned to the man. "I know who are you are! I know who all of you are! We're friends…allies!"

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"You're Kumo…Cloud!"


	45. Chapter 45

"What? Cloud?" Inari yelled in surprise.

"Yeah, the fuck outta here." Toyama joined in.

"They were beaten seven shades a' shit outta 'em. Scattered to the four corners they were. Ya tellin' us these people tryin' ta kill ya are Cloud?"

"And just who in the blue hell are you talkin' to, ya bastard-child Waver?" That woman Karui snapped right back. I could already tell she was the firebrand of the group given her aggressive rifle pointing straight at Sarutobi. Points for effort I'll say that much, but not so much in terms of actual logic behind it.

Despite my attempts to get a talk going, the guns were still not lowering. But, no one was firing. That gave me an iota of confidence of some sort of reason.

"Put the guns down, damn it!" I barked. "We're not trying to fight, ya!"

The sergeant with the platinum blonde hair leered at me. "You're in no position to make commands from us, corporal."

"Oh? But I am." Sarutobi stepped forward, his Thompston still ready to unload in case someone tried to act a fool, but neither he nor I wanted any further deaths, not with the Sound in pursuit and especially not over friendly fire. "Now I demand to know just who the hell you are and why you've got my corporal at gunpoint."

"Yeah? Well how about answering our questions…like who the hell you lot are?"

Sarutobi sighed. "Pretty sure the corporal here already told you. We're from the Leaf Army, attached to the Water Airborne. To add to that, since my corporal is also a pretty astute guy, your uniforms look like Cloud, at least the rags of what you're wearing are."

"We…um…that doesn't matter!" Karui again snapped.

Mitarashi had enough. "Put a fuckin' leash on that bitch or she's gonna get bit, Asuma."

"What did you…"

"Anko calm down. Last thing we need are more enemies. If Nara is right, you're Cloud. Why don't ya put the guns down? We ain't here to hurt ya…just get the fuck out. And seeing how time is of the essence, it'd be a very good idea if we cut the time-wasting bullshit. Now tell me who you are."

The sergeant's words, albeit gruff, seemed to have some sort of effect on them. I could tell he was simply going ad hoc with his parlay, but if there was any man my squad and I would trust being a diplomat, it was him. The woman lowered her rifle and stepped forward, finally.

Her hand hovered above ground and upon that the others started to stop aiming at us. "I'm…I'm Sergeant Samui. We WERE of the 2nd Battalion, 401st Cloud Regimental Highlanders. My group of twenty is pretty much a good tenth of all we have left. Over there is Corporal Karui, Corporal Omoi, and several others. I believe your soldiers have already met…" the little girl stepped forward from behind Karui, "little Yumi. She was our regimental sergeant's daughter."

"And where is he?"

Her face turned somber. "That should be obvious. Had to come with us when the Sound took over. He was caught in an ambush. Never had a chance."

"And you used her as a lure after all that?" Naruto interjected.

Karui again took the bait. "Excuse me buddy, I…"

"Uzumaki, quiet." Sarutobi nipped it in the bud as was par for the course around him. "So you're what's left?"

"Not quite. We've got a few more led by Captain Darui behind as an observation force."

Sarutobi nodded and turned to the rest of us. "Pull security for a second. Shouldn't have ta tell you all how that's done. Anko, get them in formation."

"Got it, Asuma." As she hurried everyone that could effectively use a weapon into some perimeter, Sarutobi sauntered over to Naruto and me. Plucking the both of us from Karui's reach gracefully, he went back to that Sergeant Samui. He had two cigarettes left and flicking them both out, he handed her one.

"Think we got off on the wrong foot. I'm Staff Sergeant Asuma Sarutobi of Fox Company, 1st Konoha Infantry. These two you were going to oh so ceremoniously ambush and loot are Private Naruto Uzumaki and my aide Corporal Shikamaru Nara."

She paused for a second looking around at her comrades who all bore looks of either anxiety or dare I say some relief. Afterward, she happily grabbed the smoke from his hand, excited like it was fat wad of cash. "Thanks. Ran out a week ago. It was killin' me." She had a certain look on her face, like she was sizing up the sarge and judging by the smile, it wasn't just the uniform she was eyeballing. It was more like musing if he was single.

"Preachin' to the choir."

A rather shameful look came across her face as she concealed her lighting. You could easily tell they were just skittish with the Sound all around them and could easily mistake us for them. "No hard feelings about trying to loot your men?"

"It ain't tabula rasa, that's for sure. Pretty sure you were gonna kill 'em too. But…seeing how you guys are Cloud, and judging how we haven't shot each other to pieces yet, I think I'll let it slide." A chuckle was shared by the two, from NCO to NCO. "But what I do wanna know is…what brought you guys to this shithole?"

"I was about to ask the same thing, but I think I can take a guess. We were hearing reports and yes even rumors of a covert Water and Leaf operation. Something about dropping in on some secret rocket bases. Looks like the captain and I weren't wrong in our assumptions. But you look like refuse."

"Hard not to feel it when your glider's shot down, then you lose half your task force, not to mention losing the head officer and NCO all in one fell swoop. But yeah, we were gonna blow those fuckin' rocket bases up. We got ours, but we also have no idea about the others." He turned to me and Corporal Karui. "Hey and now that we're all chummy, can you get your hands off my corporal?"

"Karui, let 'im go."

She snarled something I could barely pick up as she shoved me towards Sarutobi. I could never comprehend what it was with women like her. Sakura was one, Temari before I knew her was one, and even Ino to an extent was one. However, this Karui seemed to be even worse, growling something mean like an animal. Defiant as ever I turned with a sneer on my lips.

"Ya know, there's this guy in my platoon you'd like. He's like a dog too."

"What?"

Sarutobi stifled his budding laughter. "Nara, knock it off." Back at Sergeant Samui, the parlay continued with me now standing next to the sergeant. "We've been on foot for almost a whole day, just trying to get the fuck outta here. Got a good amount wounded too. And now," a long drag was necessary I surmised, "this brings us to you."

"We've been here for several weeks already, acting as pockets of resistance since our forces were scattered so badly."

"Didn't think about heading to Konoha?"

"Out of the question. We'd become refugees, unable to fight since you guys would likely absorb us into some sort of camp or keep us in the rear and blab on and on about reports. Besides, we couldn't simply go off on our own when our superiors are elsewhere trying to coordinate."

"Doesn't make much sense, but ok. So ya heard about the raids?"

"A little birdie told us. We came in to provide support to whatever units we could, but we were caught in a scrap of our own and lost some men. Sound acted like they had a bead on us for a while back. We lost contact with our other remnant forces, including Captain B. We've been holing up in this area for quite some time since then, harassing the Sound with hit-and-run attacks, looting just to keep our operation going."

"Which explains your little girl and the trap."

"Precisely. If there weren't initial doubts from Corporals Omoi and Karui, your two men would have likely been shot on the spot."

"Conforting."

"Well it didn't happen, yes?"

"And you did not bother to try to race to the Grass Nation?"

"Beset upon all sides by the enemy doesn't lend me that comfort in thinking my troops could easily sneak by the Akatsuki patrols. But with some added help…"

"Well…we're in the same boat I guess."

Samui happened to notice Konohamaru struggling to keep himself in a stable position, the poor kid still wincing in pain and trying to hold back his tears in front of his uncle. "What…what happened to him?"

Sarutobi turned around and I could see his hairs on end. "Konohamaru! Shit…"

Choji, who had been busy supporting him, turned and answered. "He's not lookin' good, sarge. We're almost dry on our supplies too. Ino can't keep him like this for too long."

Samui strode past Sarutobi and analyzed the wound. "Shi! Tend to this kid and any other wounded."

A smaller blonde man stepped forward, the distinctive white band with a red cross draped on his arm. To our fortunes he seemed filled to the gills with supplies, likely taken from the Sound. "Got it sergeant." Walking over to Konohamaru he started to coax him to relax as he whipped out some sulfa powder and other bits and pieces to reinforce Ino's efforts.

Samui coughed to get our attention. "Seeing how we're 'in the same boat' together, I might as well lend whatever hand I can for your additional firepower."

Sarutobi smiled, appreciative of the first gesture by the Cloud being the further patching up of Konohamaru. "Much obliged. But we've got some big things to plan on."

"Like getting out of here?"

"Exactly."

Now I'm not one for jumping the gun with people I can't even trust that well, but given our dilemma it was better to throw your hat in with random strangers who don't shoot you on sight than create two enemies. Besides, they knew the terrain better than us.

"So how far out are we?" Sergeant Mitarashi asked one of the Cloud soldiers, Omoi I think it was.

He removed that grain stalk he seemed privy to have in his mouth, like a kid fixated on lollipops. "A good ways away, but we've marked Captain Darui's position just northeast of us. It's a couple of clicks but if we move now and spread ourselves out, we can get to him in no time and avoid the Sound."

"It's a step farther away from the Grass border." Temari chimed in. "As long as we can get to the border we can try to find some sort of friendly unit to take us back in."

"Yeah, but we're not getting you to the border and simply bailing without the captain." Karui snapped back.

"Whoa, easy there Karui. The Sand lady's just makin' an observation." If I were a betting man, I'd have wagered that this Omoi and the more hot-tempered Karui were like brother and sister, at least judging by appearance alone. However I didn't see much to find familiar to reinforce.

"So that's what we propose, Sergeant Sarutobi. We'll help you get out of here so long as we rendezvous with the others."

"And what happens afterward?"

"We'll move elsewhere, get out of your hair. We'd prefer not to get involved in your brand of military politics."

"What, are you nuts?" Mitarashi asked.

That also didn't seem to click with Sarutobi. "Look. I dunno what kinda lone wolf antics you Cloud guys are pulling, but it'd be better to come back to safer territory with us. We can get you refitted and recuperated. Heaven knows you need it as much as we do."

"Well Captain Darui…"

"This Captain Darui can talk about it with me when this is all said and done." I was surprised in the sergeant's defiant tone, but given what we've endured fooling around with petty sentiments was the last thing he'd want to deal with. "Now we're gonna get outta here and I think it'd benefit you to come with us. Stay here much longer and Akatsuki's gonna rain down on you instead of us."

She looked around and I thought I heard a "God damn it…" coming from her lips. "All right, once we link up with Captain Darui we'll see what we're going to do. Just don't think we're going to play along with any forced conscription games I heard you Leaf Army guys are up to. Heard about the Sand getting incorporated."

"Yeah," again Karui jumped all over this, "and we've fought this long with just us. Last thing we want is to be shoved in as cannon fodder."

And that was complete bullshit. It was of their group leader's decision that the "Sand Siblings" joined us. Temari cocked an eyebrow and before she exhaled to speak, I turned to hush her. It wasn't worth getting into another verbal scrap over. Tensions were high enough as they were.

Seems the sarge had enough. "We don't have time for this…we've wasted enough already. We gotta go."

"Agreed, Sergeant Sarutobi. Omoi! Karui! Gather the rest of the group and spread yourselves around our newly found friends."

"You and I will stay apart from the rear to the front. That way we can have equal supervision. Use one of your juniors to coordinate with Corporal Inari over there for communication's sake."

"Good idea. All right then…" She readied her weapon in the low ready, "let's get moving then."

Karui and Shi passed by my squad. Then the former had this bewildered look on her face, looking right at Ino who was looking elsewhere, that blank look on her face again when she seemed so focused just fifteen minutes ago, completely catching us unaware.

"She all right?"

Choji nodded and snapped Ino back to reality, masking the obvious issue at hand. "Yeah she's fine. Don't worry."

"Ok. Just wonderin'…"

The next ten to fifteen minutes were nothing outside of pure awkwardness. It was just a little while before we were ready to put holes in each other and now we're banding together to get the fuck out of here. How silly and interesting fate was. But the cosmic humor didn't really have a place here, not at this time. We had been moving for another half-hour or so, surprisingly free from Sound patrols. It was amazing to me and Temari just how efficiently the Cloud soldiers were moving through the paths and thickets of vegetation, like they had lived here all their lives. Judging by their unit designation, they were likely light infantry useful for offensive movements through terrain such as this. Omoi had kept pace with us on point. In any other circumstance I'm sure he'd love to wax eloquent with us. Instead he just kept quiet and wiggled another grass straw through his lips. If I were a lesser man in my position, I'd have jumped at the bait to know what exactly these guys have been doing for so long. It was like Temari all over again, except they were all of the army. Temari's ilk was simply oppressed citizens forced to pick up arms. But half of us wondered just what was really going through their minds. Upon first glance they were just ragtag remnants looting and raiding whenever they could, but their movements were so disciplined, much like our own. We almost felt a twinge of regret not helping these guys when the Sound came knocking on their door in the beginning. I'm sure they were less than happy about that too, but grudges weren't exactly things fitting here and now.

Omoi put his hand up and we froze in our tracks. We heard a slight rustling near us and my scope tried to focus in on the source. The problem was there were multiple. Temari was eyeballing a tree with markings that didn't look like any force of nature had done them.

"What…"

"Shhhh!" Omoi hissed. A few seconds later, he whispered to the air. "Raikage thunders..."

A voice ushered itself out of nowhere. "And all listen."

Turning to us Omoi smiled. "It's all clear, sir. We weren't tracked."

"Heh…sorry but I didn't quite get that last part. It seems like you're packing some extra cargo. It's a pretty dull claim there, corporal."

"Well…sir…"

The shrubs to our one o'clock came alive and with it emerged a very, very camouflaged man, dark skin and bright blond hair with a look of interest but laziness to boot. Nevertheless Temari and I maintained a locked position, guessing what he was going to do next, or say next. He was certainly imposing enough given his size and authority he exhumed. "Guests are a serious matter, corporal." He looked around and saw our entire task force, prompting several other shadowy figures to emerge from their hiding spots. Had we been the enemy we would've been dead from a thousand feet back. These guys were good…really good. "I'd like to know just who you ran into on your ambush."

"Um, they're…"

"Leaf and Water forces, sir." Samui spoke from behind us.

"You're serious…?"

"I'm not really one to joke, remember sir?"

He smirked. "Ah yes, I keep forgetting. Sorry about that, sergeant. So…we found ourselves some allies? You must've been…"

"From the airborne drops, yes." Temari butted in feeling the need to hasten the pleasantries.

"Sand Resistance? All the way over here? Wow…it's a grand arrangement of different factions today. Maybe we can hold a conference and have some drinks while we're at it." The laughter was nowhere to be found save for a nervous chuckle from Omoi. "Huh, guess I'm not a comedian today. Sorry then."

"Sir!" Sarutobi nodded respectfully, saving the salute for a less tactical time.

Captain Darui turned to his attention. He was analyzing him, and me, with a strange sense of curiosity that got me and the sergeant wondering. "Huh, so you're likely the leader of this lot, aren't you?"

"Yes, sir. Staff Sergeant Asuma Sarutobi, of Fox Company, Leaf Army."

"So, the mighty Leaf decides it wants a piece in this dull…I mean grandiose paradise people would dare call a country?"

"Covert mission, sir." Samui interjected.

"You mean the rocket one the grapevine was so kind to inform us of?"

"Same one, sir."

"Good. Well you look like shit, sergeant, as do your men and women."

"Feel like it, sir." He smartly replied, getting a smirk from the captain's lips.

"Where's your officer?"

"Gone, sir. She died trying to get the explosives fixed in the base. We destroyed the whole place though. There won't be any production out of that place anymore."

"Well done, sergeant. Good to see the Soundies taking a good licking once in a while. And you've survived all this way?"

"Lost some more, sir. We were once almost forty-five, and now we're near twenty."

"It would've been more if we thought they were Sound, sir." Karui reluctantly admitted.

"Oh dear. I assume my troops thought that you were loot in the open, huh?"

"Some…parlay…was necessary, sir, courtesy of Corporal Nara and myself."

"Terribly sorry about all that. You can understand, right? Desperate times since our forces being scattered have left us to take rather drastic measures."

Sarutobi begrudgingly acknowledged it. For a unit as long out here as they were, provided the sergeant was telling the truth, it was understandable they'd be reduced to such operations. "Let's just be glad that no one caused any friendly fire incidents, sir."

"Right."

I felt like harping on a quick observation, just dying to get the words out. "You seem rather apologetic, sir."

He seemed casual about the comment. "Force of habit, corporal. It's a mite troublesome, I'll agree."

Ha. Took the words right out of my own mouth.

The captain sighed and looked out to the horizon as his troops scattered themselves into another security position, forever vigilant it seemed. Whomever could fight on our side did so in the best manner possible, leaving me, Mitarashi, Temari, Sarutobi, and the co-pilot with Sergeant Samui and the officer.

"Dull weather. Dull times. Dull everything it seems, no?" His look was rather amused but I could feel the off-put vibes from my own sergeants. "And dull conversation we have to force ourselves into. I'm sorry for seeming so scattered about all this. A sudden arrival of twenty some odd troops from other lands doesn't really allow me any liberty to rehearse."

"Sir," Samui shuffled forward to take a knee next to him, "these soldiers were trying to escape the Sound, find an exit route. Sergeant Sarutobi had explained that wihle successful in mission, they lost their way out of here. And would appreciate assistance."

"From us?"

"Well," the sergeant got a bit sheepish while Temari and I simply kept silent, "your sergeant had told me that you guys were also in a spot of trouble. Apparently ya got shot up somethin' fierce trying to get here to help us. How you've managed for these weeks I'll never know."

"A lot of time, a lot of practice, a lot of patience, and…a lot of sacrifices."

"Then why'd ya stay here, sir?"

"Again, sergeant, we heard that the Water and Leaf were coming. We wanted to help by making your transition into this place a little better."

"Things didn't go as planned, huh sir?"

"Yes that would be the case. Our intel was spotty. We weren't wrong in the big picture, but we weren't sure of the forces here or where you guys were landing."

"Wouldn't have mattered, sir. We crash-landed."

"Still, seems the Sound saw some of our troops already infiltrating, but they waited instead of simply taking us out directly. Sure enough they did, cut into a couple squads too. Sergeant Samui and her two corporals are all that remained of her squad. We got ambitious. We got greedy."

"A chance for payback can do that." Mitarashi replied with that taste of bitterness in her mouth.

He nodded begrudgingly. "Indeed it can. Captain B headed up north to try to assist however he could. We couldn't be in such large groups since the Sound would find us easy prey."

"Well why didn't you simply fall back?" Sarutobi mused. It was a good question. Anyone who got harried that much should've found some safe haven elsewhere. However, it didn't look like they had any intention what with their silly rumors of fleeing to Konoha.

"Where to, sergeant? We weren't going to flee to Konoha. Judging by your Sand associate here you guys would just throw us into the rank and file, just like this little lady right here." He pointed straight to Temari who kept her stone face despite the possibly interpreted insult. Score one for Shikamaru being right about their answer though. "We'd lose everything. We'd lose prestige, rank, authority, an identity, everything…with all due respect sergeant. And even if we get you to the border, don't consider us likely candidates to follow. We Cloud have our own agenda and we'd prefer it to not be sucked in by the Leaf."

"I don't think that's how it would turn…"

"Sergeant, how long have you been fighting this war?"

"Um, three or so years, sir."

"I'm near double of that since you sat on your hands and watched us be devastated by the Sound." That last remark was certainly uncalled for, since our armies don't act in the stead of politics, hardly our fault. "Look around you. These are my men and women. These men and women have been with me since our military was scattered to the four corners of this earth. And we know you liberated our home…so don't think we're out of the loop."

The co-pilot stepped up. "We didn't think you were."

"But our fight's not over, and it won't be in with you. We can take you to the border, but after that we're continuing this fight here and wherever and leaving when you decide to show up. It isn't our business to get in yours or to be dragged into yours, especially as soldiers of Kumo."

Again she replied. "Captain, this is hardly the place for these sorts of sentiments. Our bloddy arses are going to be fed to the worms with attitudes like that. We're just thinking a 'strength in numbers' scheme here and it would bloody likely fit common logic to come along and be under our aegis."

"And there you go…under YOUR aegis. We're our own." This drew confident smirks on Karui and Samui. "We'll take care of ourselves with or without. We don't need your home."

"Now wait a second, sir…" Sarutobi spoke up before Temari nudged him softly. He might have carried the authoritative rank over her but for this one time he felt like he knew what she was going to say, and thus stepped aside. For a man who beforehand was raging at her with threats abound he maintained some surprising calm. Must've been that nap?

"You look like you have something to say, Sand Resistance."

Temari nodded. "Sir, I am a resistance fighter, yes. I was just a rich girl forced to bear a rifle in my hands for years, about as long as you when you had to fight the kind of war I have. But I wasn't absorbed by force into here. I came to their company on the choice of my comrades and I, along with my brother…s…" She paused, about to mutter something that would've been bad.

"I'm sorry. Your…?"

"Brother, sir. My brother, Kankuro." Oh I could tell it pained her to even think of Gaara, but she remained calm about it, biting her lip ever so subtly and not even being caught by the captain. "Konoha gave us a home. We weren't pushed in nor did we lose who we were when we had lost everything else prior." She brushed the white band on her arm, the Sand markings still clear as day even with the tattered look, the sign of her independence from our structure despite her wearing an unranked green blouse akin to mine. "We still wear this. We weren't told to remove it. We . I follow Sergeant Sarutobi not out of loyalty or some acquired nationality, but out of trust. There's nothing to be gained with a false sense of independence and pride away from one's allies, sir. I had that not too long ago. It nearly got me and many others killed. He…and Corporal Shikamaru," I had to admit my heart skipped a beat, "helped me, helped us. We wouldn't have lasted this long without them. Sir, I'm not trying to make an advertisement here, but consider what coming with us could do. I know the plan was to guide us and go, but you can't keep this," she looked around referring to Captain Darui's little guerrilla troop, "going for very long, especially here. Until Konoha comes in you'd be on your own. How long have you been going it alone in this country, sir? Weeks you said?"

He nodded slowly.

"Until the Leaf and Water come in, you or all of us don't stand much of a chance, especially with them on higher alert and likely getting reinforcements from some pocket they could squeeze through. It's been by some good fortune we've dodged them so far, but I implore that you reconsider. For once you might actually feel secure. They can finally get you some care…and hell the sergeant can put in a word to let you guys take off when you're done."

Sarutobi wouldn't be caught off guard on that one. "Right, of course…I'll do what I can."

"We're friends, right sir? We're supposed to be allies. I've heard of your Raikage, the powerful yet bombastic man." Temari had a bit of guts directly commenting on this ragtag group's leader, but that was the Temari I knew and loved. "My father, the Kazekage, knew him too…prideful man he is."

Darui seemed surprised. "You…you're the kid of the Kazekage?"

"Yes…"

He looked rather glum as if he personally sympathized, or as if he knew everything that had happened to her and her brothers. "I'm…I'm sorry for your loss, ma'am."

Again the look on her face was pained, but she wouldn't start the waterworks. Instead she took it on the chin and kept the straight face. "It's ok…that was a long time ago, in a different time of my life." She then forced a laugh out to not make it so maudlin. "But anyway, I know where you're coming from, sir. I know what it's like to have lost a home and still try to be who you are, but you shouldn't fear what became of me or what might become of you if you stick with us. I ain't very good with this whole soapbox thing, to be honest, but I figured the mess we're all in should have us actually get on the same page rather than letting pride get in the way. Right about now we need to trust each other even if we started out rather ugly."

There was an awkward pause between the lot of us. I could feel that Sergeant Samui wanted to say something to break the tension, but Temari beat her to the punch.

"So…what do you say, sir?"

He ran his camo-caked hands through his hair, mussing it up even further. From what I could muse, it wasn't really a question of saving face as much as it was how his people rolled in situations like this. For the short hour we've been talking, the introductions and security watches separate from our little negotiation, it's been quite an eventful one. Looking around he saw his troopers with mixed emotions. Some like Karui were stubborn and sure enough apprehensive towards any merging. Others like Omoi kept a straight face, certainly respecting whatever decision he was about to make.

"Jeez…you drive a hard point, ma'am. Makes mine look kinda dull. I know I'll likely be regretting this but…ok. We'll get you to the border and if we see your buddies, MAYBE we'll consider asking for refuge. But just you remember though, we're doing things our way."

She took it as a yes and grinned. "Thank you sir."

He remained straight-faced. "I'd rather you not…"

The light rain and clouds seemed to have no end. I started to grow worried that any idle banter that wasn't Temari's appeal to the captain was gonna get picked up by the wind and somehow into the ears of some Sound patrol. Judging by the apprehensive movements of the Cloud, I was glad to see I wasn't alone.

I nudged the sergeant. "We should probably get going. A bunch of us here is likely going to attract some unwanted attention. We've been here too long."

He in kind faced the captain. "Look…I know you've talked to the little lady over here but we need to make this sorta thing official. We still implore ya to take us up to get pulled back. Makes no sense of you guys just stayin' here until the cavalry arrives."

Captain Darui put his hand up to dismiss the crowd. "Like I said, sergeant, we'll cross that bridge when we get there."

"Of course, sir. However, I believe we have a deal?" With hand outward and an unsure smile from the sergeant's lips, the final offer was made.

The skeptical me would have immediately seen another blowhard lecture about the Cloud and pride and nation and blah blah blah. However, this Captain Darui seemed a bit different. He seemed a bit on the level, a guy you could trust with any sort of negotiation.

"Deal." Sarutobi's hand was met with his and right then and there the Cloud joined the merry band of miscreants just trying to get the hell out of this place. For once I actually felt a brief moment of satisfaction, and I knew it was Temari that helped push the envelope.

Of course, not to be overly cheerful, the voice of doubt barged its way in before the feel-good festivities could spread itself amongst the soldiers. "You sure about this, sir? I don't like it one bit, and I don't see anything good comin' from there guys. I mean that guy right there," the ever-so-charming corporal pointed her finger straight to me, "had a damn pistol to my head threatening to kill me." Karui seemed like the type of person to follow pretty much her own, and even then it seemed like only a handful of people such as Sergeant Samui or this captain garnered her respect. "And we're just gonna buddy up with them now? We should just part ways instead of be stuck with this rabble."

I closed my eyes and just imagined I didn't hear that last part.

Temari on the other hand rose to the challenge. "If I recall correctly you were gonna shoot him and take all of his stuff had I not shown up. I really don't think you're in much of a position to lob accusations around."

Now from the looks of it, from the unbiased observer, outside of skin and nationality you might not have been able to tell the two apart. Both had that steely gaze to them, the kind that in a more social setting could crush a man's testicles with a drop of the verbal venom or literally with a nice uppercut when unsuspecting. There was that tenacity about them that was fearsome to any enemy, but unlike Karui, Temari at least I knew had that touch of humanity. That was yet to be seen with this Cloud soldier. She had an ego the size of Konoha that's for sure…something no one except maybe one of the blowhards in my platoon could withstand, except again for a prankster like Ayako or a total "tough guy" like Kiba. Before I lost myself in either nostalgia or contemplation of how the rest of them were doing back in Kusa, the looks of those two nettlesome women were catching the attention of all.

"Karui, chill." Omoi pulled her back from advancing on Temari. His surprisingly calm demeanor seemed to have got her antagonism down a notch where Samui and the captain seemed to not get involved with. Thank goodness for small miracles. As she grumbled something to spite the two of us and likely him, Omoi turned to us, the corner of his lips shifting into a half-smile. I had the feeling he had been down this road with her many a time before. "No worries, man. She just gets like this on a regular basis."

"You're talking like I'm some sort of attack dog, Omoi!" From out of nowhere she dead-armed him. Maybe this did confirm my suspicion of parallel with Kiba, yet they'd be hating each other in no time.

"Hey! I'm just sayin' we're not in the situation to really pick loyalties."

"He's right, Karui." Samui finally stepped up whisking Omoi off with a wave of the hand to which he got back to getting some of the other Cloud remnants on their feet and ready to move. "Cap'n made a deal. We're off to get these guys home."

"We're just a bigger target then."

"With bigger firepower…" Choji muttered to her lugging his machine gun.

All I could do is shrug my shoulders in a sort of "hoisted by your own petard, no?" manner and with a confident grin head off to the sergeant's direction. Temari followed right after, which was good because I had a little something to say to her.

"I gotta say, Temari, your skills as a diplomat just might outshine your skills as a soldier and sniper. Maybe you should hang it up and go into politics and leave the shootin' to a ."

She turned and grabbed me by the jaw in that classic "I'll love you the hard way" Temari of the Sand sort of ways, the kind that wouldn't have me ready for a smack but instead meeting it with even more playful arrogance. "Keep talking to yourself like that, sweetheart. I might just have to practice on you some more with that attitude of yours, eh?"

"Aren't we the bossy one?"

"Heh…" She pecked me on the lips and sauntered off to the front where opted to take point.

I just stood there, a tad awestruck I admit shamelessly, rubbing my chin introspectively. From out of nowhere I nearly fell on my face when a hard thwack met my back followed by a gruff chortle.

"Oh she's a keeper, ain't she?" Sarutobi sniggered as he passed by me.

I stood there for a few seconds more, before Sergeant Mitarashi and some of the other Cloud troopers decided to get ahead. In the distance I still saw her back with that distinctly tied hair. I laughed to myself.

"That she is sergeant…that she is."


End file.
